Congdon Park Elementary School Re-Opens after Rat Infestation

DULUTH, Minn.- Congdon Elementary School in Duluth shut down school grounds for the summer after a rat infestation was found on school grounds underneath the building, but with school just around the corner school district leaders tell us the problem is under control.

Congdon Elementary School grounds are ready to welcome students back.

Pest Control experts found around 300 to 500 rats underneath the school building but after taking active measures officials say 90 percent of the rats are now gone. The Congdon Park Elementary School grounds are open once again. There are still bait boxes around the property, near dumpsters and other infestation areas. But school district officials say you won’t be able to notice anything ever happened when students return to school in a few weeks.

“We knew they were outside, we knew they weren’t inside, and we didn’t want to take the chance to let them get inside so we were as aggressive as we felt necessary,” manager of facilities Dave Spooner said.

School officials also tell us, they used the least toxic chemicals and bait boxes for to handle the rat problem safely. Residents near Congdon Elementary school will also be receiving a knock on their door and given a newsletter with informational tips on how to keep rodents out of the area.