Kings Park middle school reports ticks on students, prompting activity changes
Outdoor activities at William T. Rogers Middle School were modified as officials worked to address multiple reports of ticks found on students.
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Parents in Kings Park are being urged to stay vigilant after ticks were found on several students at William T. Rogers Middle School.
The discovery has already led to changes in outdoor activities as the district works to address the problem.
"It's definitely not great. There is way too many ticks on Long Island as it is," said Cole Kunzel, of Kings Park.
William T. Rogers Middle School is dealing with multiple reports of ticks found on students. According to the school, the problem first started last week.
"It's not too big of a surprise. I've heard of people walking through a little patch of grass like this," Kunzel said.
School fields were mowed and treated with chemicals, but people were still finding ticks on them.
As a result, sports practices were canceled Monday, while recess and physical education classes were moved to the blacktop.
"They should not be allowed outside, at least like during gym," said Megan Woodworth, of Kings Park.
Dr. Sharon Nachman, division chief of pediatric infectious disease at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, said tick season is not over yet and encouraged parents to continue checking their children daily.
"Look for the ticks and pull them off every day. If your child has symptoms, let's get them seen by a professional. Doing more than that is not for parents. The school is being very open about what their plans are and what they are doing to mitigate those ticks," Nachman said.
A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning to discuss athletics and make a plan to get the field back open.
