An educator at the Columbia Heights Educational Campus in Northwest Washington says rats have become such a constant presence that she will not return to the building this fall. She describes rodents darting under office doors, sticky traps pressed into service as makeshift fixes in bathrooms, and colleagues who have grown used to tossing out trapped animals. Her account has fueled fresh worry among staff and families about basic maintenance and sanitation at the combined middle- and high-school campus.
A D.C. Health food-inspection report from mid-May documented rodent droppings and dead insects in glue traps in the school cafeteria, and the Department of General Services told reporters it has been providing biweekly service visits that include trapping and bait-station installation. DGS said it found gaps in cabinetry that may be giving rodents room to move and plans to start exclusion work in July to seal passageways and address the source of the activity. As reported by WTOP, the campus houses Lincoln Multicultural Middle School and Bell Multicultural High School.
Staff say the infestation has persisted
“Rodents do carry diseases and even if you don’t come in contact with the rodent, if you come in contact with their droppings or their urine, it has the potential to have people get sick,” the educator said. In a late-April email, she wrote that “more than seven rodents have been captured in my work area alone,” and said some co-workers told her the problem has lingered for years without a real fix. Lewis told WTOP she did not plan to return to the building this fall.
City response and broader efforts
City agencies say school-level repairs are being coordinated with a larger rodent-control push underway across the District. According to a DC Health release, the department launched a targeted abatement pilot this spring that combines monitoring and baiting with a non-lethal fertility-control product in neighborhoods with heavy rodent activity, and it urges residents to report sightings through DC311. The Department of General Services, which oversees maintenance and pest-control services for District-owned facilities, has advised improved housekeeping and proper food storage while scheduling exclusion work; see DC Health, the Rodent and Vector Control page, and DGS's facilities overview at cfo.dc.gov.
Health risks and prevention
Public-health guidance notes that rodent droppings, urine and nesting materials can transmit bacterial and viral illnesses, and that the risk of exposure goes up wherever food is prepared or eaten. The Centers for Disease Control recommends sealing entry points, removing food sources and following careful cleanup protocols to reduce the chance of transmission. CDC guidance underscores why structural remediation and routine sanitation are particularly important in school kitchens and office areas.
What happens next at Columbia Heights
DGS told reporters it will begin exclusion work in July and has urged staff to sanitize workstations, store food properly and cut down on clutter while repairs are scheduled, although it has not provided a firm completion date. The Columbia Heights Educational Campus, home to Lincoln and Bell, is located at 3101 16th Street NW. Parents and staff say they are looking for formal updates from D.C. Public Schools and the Department of General Services as the district prepares for the coming school year; campus contact information is listed on the school's website. Columbia Heights Educational Campus
