PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Parents of students at Browning-Pearce Elementary School in San Mateo are feeling uneasy after observing bats flying from a covered overhang near the school’s main entrance.

The Putnam County School District acknowledged that this issue has been ongoing since November. It first came to light when staff members spotted bats during an evening fall festival. In response, maintenance teams began efforts to manage the situation by sealing entry points after allowing the bats to leave each night.

“Bats are a protected species in Florida, so it’s not permissible to harm them,” stated Dr. Rick Surrency, the Superintendent of the Putnam County School District.

While the majority of bats were initially removed from their original location, they have since relocated to another part of the school structure.

“They tend to leave easily at night, allowing us to seal up their previous entry points. However, they often find new spots, which is what happened here,” Surrency elaborated.

The district says they then hired Belfor Property Management, a professional mitigation company.

“We’ve paid them a considerable amount of money because we want it done right, and they’ve actually come out and set up scaffolds,” Surrency said.

Recent cold weather has slowed progress, though, with the bats going dormant.

“They want to do like us and stay inside,” the superintendent said. “That’s probably why we haven’t been able to really resolve the problem during the cold weather, because they won’t come out.”

Surrency stressed that there is no safety risk to students.

“They were not flying inside at all, and as far as I’m concerned, they were not flying in the hallway,” he said.

The district has not notified the Florida Department of Health because they say there have been no reports of bats inside the school building or any direct contact with students or staff.

School remains open while crews continue exclusion efforts.

“Our number one goal in our district is to keep our kids safe, whether it’s a threat by humans or a threat by any other living being, being bats or anything else,” Surrency said. “I want to reassure our parents that our students are safe. They’ve never been in any harm at all.”

District officials say they are closely monitoring the situation and expect warmer weather to help resolve it soon.

Remember, killing bats is illegal in Florida under state law, including those roosting in buildings, schools or businesses. Pesticides and poisons are strictly off-limits.

If bats invade your property, you must follow Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules for safe exclusion: let them exit at night, then seal entry points. Full guidelines and tips can be found here.