CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A Clay County mother is calling for accountability from her child’s school after her daughter contracted pinworm infections twice within two months.
Alisha Monroe, a parent of a child who attends Argyle Elementary, said she was told by the school principal that parents would not be notified about the infection, and that if she wanted other parents to be informed, she’d have to do so herself.
Pinworms are highly contagious parasites, and Monroe believes her daughter contracted them at Argyle Elementary. Despite treating her daughter with medication after the first infection, the child was reinfected a few weeks later.
“I took her to the doctor again. And I was just furious that I knew exactly where she got it from,” Monroe said.
She added that she tried to contact the school administration but felt ignored.
“They were very dismissive. And when I got in touch with the main principal, she told me basically that she was just here to listen to me and move on about her day,” she said.
Clay County Schools responded to questions about the situation:
We want to assure you and the community that the health and safety of our students are our top priority, and we have taken several steps to address this situation.
Upon receiving the first report from the parent, the school immediately implemented enhanced cleaning protocols. While classrooms are cleaned daily with standard procedures, they have increased the frequency of cleaning during and after school and removed items that could not be thoroughly cleaned to prevent further spread.
Regarding communication with the parent, the Assistant Principal met with this parent last Thursday, and the Principal met with her today. The school has also maintained consistent communication with her via Rooms, our school to home communication platform. District staff from Elementary Education and Nursing have also spoken with this parent and provided her with resources.
It’s important to note that this is an isolated case; it is the only case that has been reported. The Department of Health’s epidemiology guidelines indicate that they do not reach out to the entire class unless the percentage of students with pinworms reaches 20%, a threshold that was not met in this instance.
We are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for all our students.
Sabrina Thomas, Chief Communication and Community Engagement Officer for Clay County Schools
Monroe said the principal informed her that she would have to notify other parents herself. As a result, Monroe posted information about the infection on a community Facebook page.
“I think the more parents who know about it, the more active they will be looking to see about their child and get them treated. It’s not going to go anywhere just by cleaning. You have to get treated,” she said.
Candace Thompson, Monroe’s best friend and a fellow Argyle Elementary parent, expressed concern about the lack of communication from the school.
“Just a simple notification would suffice...They say they care about our children, but not informing the parents comes off as they don’t care,” Thompson said.
Parents at Argyle Elementary are now urging the school to improve communication and transparency to ensure children’s health and safety.