By Paige Gurgainers

Bats located in the upper floor of Webster Junior High School have sparked concerns amongst teachers, parents and students over the last couple of months, leading to a statement released by principal Nathaniel Richardson. According to sources the release of this statement stemmed from a student at the school allegedly being hit in the head by a flying bat during school hours. 

The statement issued via text message reads, “We have identified the presence of bats within our school building, primarily concentrated on the upper floor of our two-story facility. I want to assure you that the administration and school board office are fully aware of this situation and have already taken decisive action.” 

Although many have alleged that the Webster Parish School Board sent their maintenance workers within the premises armed with wasp spray and trash bags, maintenance and transportation supervisor Denny Finley said that is not the case.  

“After extensive research on our part, we have learned that bats are protected, but they do cause a problem in a school setting,” he said. “We are contracted with a company out of Shreveport that removes bats safely, but it is a process.” 

So far that process has included having the crews from the school board rent a lift and examine the top floor of the school building to try to find entry points where the bats may be entering when seeking shelter from the cold conditions. According to Finley it is when it warms up that they start seeing the bats emerge.  

“We had the state department come out and they are good with the process, so we have now sealed the top floor and installed a bat extruder,” he said.  

A bat extruder is a one-way tube that allows bats to leave a building but prevents them from re-entering. This is not a one and done procedure, but the only way to safely remove the bats and prevent any school closures.  

According to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries website, bats are protected in the state due to the role they play in the ecosystem including dispersing pollen and seeds and controlling the insect population.  

Finley did say that once the bats have been removed, the maintenance department will be initiating clean-up efforts.