Between the end of February and the majority of March, noticing a bat in the hallways or a classroom was hardly a rare occurrence. Whether it be bats residing in the walls, resting in the corners of the classroom, or flying around frightening students and teachers, bats quickly became the talk of the school.

As chaos arose, school administration hired exterminators in attempt to remove these animals. Over spring break, the bats were physically cleared from school grounds and are no longer a threat, but the aftermath is apparent, and it seems as if this issue will not completely be resolved for quite some time.

A handful of C-building classrooms were invaded by bats within this time period. As a result, classrooms had to relocate temporarily to spaces including the library, cafeteria, or auditorium. Teachers were promised their classrooms back by the end of spring break; however, there is still one teacher who will have to wait much longer before her room is suitable to teach in.

English teacher Anette Bashford’s classroom was affected the most by the bats. Since the beginning of the construction of the new C-building, bats began to move into Bashford’s wall behind her desk.  The drywall had to get ripped out, along with the insulation because of the bats nesting in this area. “The combination of switching out the wall, getting all the bats out, [and] deodorizing…would have fixed the problem, but there is a lingering odor,” Bashford describes. The deodorizing scent that the exterminators used remains in the room and caused students and Bashford to get headaches upon entering.

As of now, her classroom is completely bat-free, but the scent has forced her to relocate to the auditorium for the remainder of the year.

Bashford proves to be flexible and optimistic by teaching in this smaller room with a handful of challenges. Putting it lightly, Bashford describes this move as a “mild inconvenience.” She then proceeds to compliment her class on their resilience to continue their studies efficiently and uphold their grades.

“It’s pretty easy to learn in here, but it’s sometimes difficult to hear.”  Sophomore Gabriel Murillo adds when discussing some of the issues that come with learning here. Along with that, students have to work with small “desks” attached to the auditorium seats.

This challenge was certainly unexpected and baffled everyone across campus, but Bashford’s optimism and flexibility contribute to her students’ success and academic growth. “We’re all just making the best of it. I think it’s kind of fun, we have a bit of [a] change of scenery,” Bashford says.

Although Bashford and her classes are accepting this challenge with open arms, the district plans to have her room back by the start of next school year.