MIAMI (WSVN) - Educators in South Florida are joining the discussion on how to protect students and faculty in the midst of the Zika emergency.
Design and Architecture Senior High is one of six Miami-Dade County public schools that is in the one mile radius from the Zika zone in Wynwood.
Crews have since checked and rechecked for standing water on the school’s campus to make sure there are no mosquito breeding grounds come the new school year. “School is about to start in two and a half weeks,” said one School Board member.
“This is new territory that we’re entering in,” said School Board member Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall. “You should have seen us pouring out water this morning at the house because we had the rain last night.”
“One single bottle cap of water can spawn 300 mosquitos,” said Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, as he held up a bottle cap in the meeting.
Zika concerns have prompted Miami-Dade Public School officials to take action. MDCPS delivered voice messages to the homes of students regarding the virus as the district received updated health information from local and state officials. “You can guard against mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika virus by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants,” the voice message partly said.
Other schools that may be impacted by Zika include:
- Jose de Diego Middle School
- Eneida M. Hartner Elementary School
- Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School
- Young Men’s Prep Academy
- Phillis Weatley Elementary School
“I just wanna know if we’re on queue to request spraying,” said School Board member Raquel Regalado.
“A number of our schools are in the targeted area, were visited by county health inspectors and a decision was made collaboratively to not fumigate at this point,” Carvalho said.
Maintenance crews on campus have instead diligently inspected school grounds and removed standing water. “My greatest concern is the fact that it’s probably one of our poorest areas,” Bendross-Mindingall said.
Her concern also ties into uniforms and if parents can afford long-sleeved shirts and other protective gear, but according to Carvalho, funds have been set aside to help families in need.
The district is also working to identify any pregnant students and staff members who work or go to school in the impacted areas to provide safety kits.
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