Parents, teachers and pupils in Blue Island have accused Cook County School District 130 of allowing classrooms, toilets and other school buildings to fall into unsanitary conditions following the replacement of its custodial staff.
The allegations were aired during a school board meeting on Tuesday, where speakers described mould, filthy floors, neglected toilets, pest infestations and dead animals on school grounds.
The district dismissed more than 30 custodial workers during the summer and brought in HES Facilities Management to provide cleaning services. The Blue Island Education Association said the new contractor had been expected to begin work on 8 September but was not ready to fully staff the schools.
Teachers and union representatives called for the former custodial team to be reinstated, arguing that the cleaning arrangements had left staff working in conditions that could threaten pupils’ health and disrupt learning.
Elizabeth, a community member who addressed the board, said: “There is mould in locker rooms. There are unsanitary and neglected bathrooms, filthy floors, bathroom accidents, rodent and insect infestations, and dead animals.”
Melody Velasquez, a seventh-grade pupil, told the meeting that milk stains left after lunch could still be seen the following day. She said she had repeatedly raised the issue and asked her mother whether she could volunteer to clean the school.
Sherri Roozee-Sera, president of the Blue Island Education Association, said the situation had reached crisis point.
“We are in a crisis situation when you cannot even go to the bathroom in a clean environment,” she said.
The union said teachers had reported mice, flies, faeces and urine that were not being properly cleaned, as well as dead animals near areas where pupils boarded buses. It said the district served nearly 3,000 pupils across 12 schools.
District 130 board president Nicole Martinez acknowledged the frustration among parents, teachers and residents. She said the district had changed providers because of “serious service issues” with the previous contractor, but that the new company’s staffing had been delayed while employees completed required background checks.
“Our focus must be on getting the appropriate staffing in place, holding our new provider accountable and ensuring our schools are clean and safe,” Martinez said.
The board heard about 30 minutes of public testimony. Several members said they were embarrassed and disappointed by the reported conditions, but indicated that the district would continue working with HES Facilities Management rather than immediately restoring the former custodial service.
