ORLANDO, Fla., April 29 (UPI) -- A roach infestation at nearly two dozen schools in Florida is so bad students at one school were forced to eat their lunches outside in a tent, officials said.
Some parents have complained about how the Orange County school district is handling the situation.
"I've complained about that cafeteria for years and nothing has been done," parent Ivette Wilson told WFTV, Orlando, Thursday.
On Tuesday, a late-night inspection at Rock Springs Elementary School in Apopka uncovered an infestation of German cockroaches in the cafeteria. On Wednesday, students were eating prepackaged sandwiches outside.
"We're concerned that this German cockroach presence has had a fast and rapid development, and we are responding as fast as we have found it," Michael Eugene, district chief operations officer, said.
Parents, however, said they were unconvinced.
"How did the roaches get that out of control? Didn't they know something sooner? It's gross. It's unacceptable," Wilson said.
The school district said the most recent inspections were done at night, and since roaches come out at night, that's why they suddenly discovered so many schools infested.
