March 11, 2020

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Today we found what appeared to be a bed bug in a classroom at school. We do certainly understand that bed bugs are a nuisance and may be expensive to remove from homes. Bed bugs are not known to cause or spread disease. They are usually active at night when they feed on blood. The bite is painless at first but may become swollen and itch, like a mosquito bite. 

It is often difficult to determine the source of bed bugs. They are often found in department stores, hotels, airplanes, buses, hospitals, and movie theaters. Finding a potential bed bug does not mean that the school building is infested. Putnam County R-I Schools contracts with an exterminator to treat rooms as deemed appropriate. 

Please know that if you have a bed bug problem at home that the school can help by discretely conducting their own check of items that are brought to school. This check will be accomplished without interruption to your child's education. Notify the school's main office by phone, 660-947-3361, and they will take the necessary steps to help your child upon entrance to the school. 

For further assistance on preventing bed bugs, please see:

• Center for Disease Control FAQ's on Bed Bugs

We greatly appreciate your efforts in helping us protect other families and our staff from having to deal with this parasite. 

If you have any questions, please contact the school at 660-947-3361