Calusa Elementary in Boca Raton confirms rats seen on campus

BOCA RATON, Fla. - A second school in Palm Beach County is dealing with rats. The principal at Calusa Elementary confirms there are rodents on campus.

Although rats are known to carry disease, principal Jamie Wyatt says the children are not in danger. She says the problem is not an infestation, but has been a challenge for months. Some parents had no idea.

"I think it's disgusting, is the school dirty? Are they not cleaning?" says Trisha Rowland.

Rowland's son Bodie, a second grade student, says around Christmas his class was warned about the rodents.

"Rats ate some (rice), so they said don't touch it or you'll be infected," says Bodie.

School leaders say the Palm Beach County School District sent inspectors out multiple times to eradicate the rats. Two inspectors were at Calusa Tuesday.

"He was wearing something around his mouth like doctors wear, and he was looking around in the ceiling," says Aubree McElhenney, a Calusa Elementary School student.

18 rats were removed from Panther Run Elementary school in Wellington this past weekend, and traps were set. Back at Calusa, the principal says nothing was found in Tuesday's inspection. 

PTA President Sheryl Spiefel says school leaders are doing everything they can to deal with the rats.

"They're a wonderful group of people, they put the kids first. We're dealing with the problem and hopefully they'll get rid of it," says Spiefel.