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Mold, mice and cockroaches: Goldsboro HS students speak out over infested classrooms

Mold, mice, cockroaches are a common sight at Goldsboro High School, students say. The learning environment has been neglected as students say they are forced to stare at plaster peeling from the walls and walk on rotted floors.

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By
Keenan Willard
, WRAL eastern North Carolina reporter
GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Mold, mice and cockroaches are a common sight at Goldsboro High School, students say.

The learning environment has been neglected as students say they are forced to stare at plaster peeling from the walls and walk on rotted floors.

On Tuesday, three students brought their concerns to the Goldsboro City Council meeting.

Goldsboro High School in poor condition.

"We have problems that people look over, because they see Goldsboro High School and they think, 'It's just Goldsboro. It's so ghetto over there. The kids are so bad.' But, that's not true at all," said student Christopher Smith.

A total of 536 students attend the high school and the majority of those students are Black, according to state data from the 2020-2021 school year.

Smith and his fellow classmates pleaded with the city council to do something about the unsafe conditions they are subject to every day. Students said at the meeting that during class, they have to swat away wasps and cockroaches from their desk. Also, students said they regularly see rats and mice.

Goldsboro High School in failing condition.

"How can we perform academically, and continue to do great things like tonight, if the school is not up to par?" Smith asked. "We're expected to learn around these conditions?"

Officials with the Goldsboro City Council told the students that they are not under the jurisdiction to repair the school and told students to bring their concerns to the Wayne County Public Schools Board of Education at their next meeting on April 8.

City council member Charles Gaylor told Smith that he would be at the next board meeting on April 8 and would ensure the students had transportation to make it there.

"Goldsboro High School is a shadow of what it once was," he said.

Ken Dersken, executive director for community engagement at Wayne County Public Schools, said that he applauded the three students for advocating for their school in Tuesday night's council meeting.

"At this time, we are researching work orders to confirm what repairs have been made in regards to floor tiles and window frames damaged by older air units, peeling paint in stairwells, and roofing concerns that may be contributing to leaks," Dersken said in an email.

He also highlighted that the school has tried to temporarily solve issues related to rotten floors and broken tiles.

"We recognize that more efforts could have been made sooner to replace tiles, even if it meant temporarily displacing students to another area of campus while work was being completed," he said.

Dersken said that the school district was unsure "where the concerns about pests generated from," but said the district would be investigating these concerns.

School leaders emphasized that the district has allocated funds to address concerns over air quality in schools across Wayne County.

"The Wayne County Board of Education approved an architectural firm in January to develop a scope of work for needed projects at Goldsboro High and Southern Wayne High," he said in a statement. "Once the scope of work is completed and approved by the board, bids for projects will occur."

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