Rats prompt Chicago school cleanings
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CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Rat problems that forced the shutdown of 13 school cafeterias have led officials to order a top-to-bottom cleaning of all 600 Chicago public schools.
The cleaning, to start Monday, is expected to take 8 to 12 weeks at a cost of $2 million to $4 million. It was ordered after inspectors found rat and mouse droppings in some school kitchens, classrooms and boiler rooms in recent months and suspended food service at 13 schools.
"I am putting every school-based employee on notice today: If you can't keep your schools clean, we'll find someone else who can," schools chief Arne Duncan said Thursday.
He stressed that no evidence had been found of food contamination at any of the schools, but he warned that if the problems resurfaced at any school after the cleaning, that school's officials could face punishment.
Students will receive cold breakfasts and lunches from outside vendors instead of hot meals during the cleaning.
The cleaning comes on the heels of a similar rodent crackdown 16 months ago. At that time, Duncan encouraged schools to look for rodent problems and call in exterminators if needed. School district spokesman Michael Vaughn said Friday that he didn't know if the district tracked the schools' responses.
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