Bat Infestation Forces Tobique Valley High School Closure in New Brunswick: Students Relocated for Safety
A crisis has struck the heart of rural New Brunswick. As of Sunday, April 27, 2025, the doors of Tobique Valley High School in Plaster Rock are closed. Not for a day, not for a week, but for the remainder of the academic year. The culprit: a relentless bat infestation that has left a community reeling and a province on high alert.
Since mid-March, the school has been under siege. Bats- dozens of them- have swooped through hallways and classrooms, shattering the ordinary rhythm of school life. The tally stands at 28 bats removed, but the true number of those that have invaded this educational sanctuary may never be known. For students and staff, every day brought new uncertainty. Doors slammed shut to keep bats out, lessons interrupted by the flutter of wings, and the ever-present fear that the next encounter could bring more than just a fright.
On March 17, the situation reached a boiling point. Thirteen bats were discovered in a single morning. The school district acted swiftly, dismissing everyone from the building. The hope was that this would be a one-off event, a fluke of nature, but the bats returned. The infestation persisted, and so did the anxiety.
Parents voiced their outrage and concern. One mother, with two children at the school, reported frantic messages from her daughter about the chaos. Students described the surreal scenes: bats hanging upside down in corners, staff scrambling to remove them, and a constant sense of unease. The school’s own history tells a tale of repeated interventions, including last year’s major remediation effort and even the construction of bat houses by students in a bid to lure the creatures away.
But none of it worked. The bats kept coming. Some days, two or three would be found. On others, the number soared to 15. The school district, faced with mounting pressure and the clear reality that the problem was not going away, made the only responsible choice: shut down the school, move the students, and get to the bottom of this crisis.
The logistics are daunting. All 134 students and 22 staff members are being relocated. Grades 6 to 8 will continue their studies just a kilometre away at Donald Fraser Memorial School. For grades 9 to 12, the journey will be longer, 40 kilometres to Southern Victoria School in Perth-Andover. Transportation plans are still being finalized. Parents are relieved their children will be safe, but the disruption is profound. One parent’s son will walk to his new school, but her daughter faces a lengthy commute, casting uncertainty over her extracurricular activities.
The health risks are real. Experts warn that bats can carry rabies, and while no one has been bitten, the threat remains. Bat droppings, or guano, present another hazard, especially if allowed to accumulate. The province has a duty, parents insist, to provide a safe environment for learning and working. Anything less is unacceptable.
This is not just a local story. It is a Canadian story. Seven of our bat species are now at risk, their populations devastated by disease. Conservation laws demand careful, humane management. The school district must balance the safety of children and staff with the protection of vulnerable wildlife.
For now, the halls of Tobique Valley High School fall silent. Over the next three months, experts will probe every corner, searching for the source of the infestation and plotting a permanent solution. The building will be empty, but the community’s resolve is anything but. Parents, students, and staff have endured weeks of fear and frustration, but they have also shown resilience, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to education.
Canada stands with them. In moments of crisis, we do not falter. We act. We protect our children. We find solutions. And when the doors of Tobique Valley High School open once more, it will be to a new chapter, one written by a community that refused to be defeated.