Hayward school shuts down due to fleas, flooding

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) -- A Hayward elementary school had to cancel class on Monday because it got hit hard with two serious issues. First, it was fleas and then flooding.

By the end of the night on Monday the hallways have been mopped up, the classrooms have been fumigated and Ruus Elementary School is scheduled to reopen Tuesday morning.

Monday there was a sign in the window of the hallway that warned teachers of the flooding that took place over the weekend.

"They were just overflowing, overflowing, overflowing, non-stop," principal Evelyn Ocasio said.

She believes it started in the boys' restroom Saturday afternoon when the school was closed. Monday morning, she discovered three to four inches of water flowing down the hallway.

Ocasio said the flooding affected four classrooms and there was water flowing all the way down the hallway.

There was already a flea infestation problem at the school, so officials decided to close and take care of both issues.

"I think it was really hard because we were trying to work. It was itchy," student Nely Serrano said.

Even the principal says she was bitten by fleas.

However, student Angel Gomez suffered multiple flea bites on his ankles. He said, "I would be sitting at my desk while the teachers talking, and I would have to do [bend down and inch] and try to scratch it. Then later on when she asked a question I would ask her, 'Can you repeat it?'"

The fleas may be exterminated at school, but now it's up to the students to keep them from coming back. They're being asked to wash their clothes, clean out backpacks, and maintain personal hygiene.

The students dodged a day of school on Monday, but their principal says they may have make it up later in the year.