A local school is facing a fate worse than detention after state inspectors found signs of a mouse infestation. The discovery may leave teachers and parents stunned, as concerns over Hantavirus have been haunting the headlines in recent months.
According to a citation from the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), state inspectors made the unpleasant discovery at Amy Biehl Community School in Santa Fe back in September, 2024. Mouse droppings were found in multiple classrooms and teachers’ closets, and the school was found to have failed in fully implementing and communicating an effective extermination program.
The state accused the school of potentially exposing employees to bio-hazards such as Hantavirus—which it deemed a “serious violation”—and dropped a $14,070 penalty on Santa Fe Public Schools district.
That’s no overreaction. In a place like New Mexico, which has the highest rate of Hantavirus infections in the nation, exposure to mouse droppings can be deadly. The state saw 122 cases between 1993 and 2022—a fact that has captured the attention of news outlets and internet commentators following the untimely death of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. The couple had been unknowingly exposed to the virus while living in their home in Santa Fe.
State health officials had already found other cases of Hantavirus in the area. In March, the Health Department (DOH) confirmed the first reported case of the disease in 2025 as happening in Santa Fe, where a 65-year-old woman was found dead after being exposed to the virus.
The virus is primarily contracted by inhaling aerosolized particles from infected deer mouse droppings, urine and nesting materials. It’s vulnerable to UV rays, which can render the virus harmless in sunlight, but it’s particularly dangerous when in small, dark and unventilated areas—like a closet.
Danger of contraction is high for young children, especially those with pre-existing respiratory issues or asthma. And a public elementary school is an incredibly volatile place to find infected vermin, since young kids are less likely to be aware of the dangers should they come into contact with droppings.
The disease is often missed in the early stages, because it initially appears to be the flu. Symptoms don’t start to appear until weeks after exposure, and there isn’t any known treatment. The mortality rate is nearly 36 percent, according to a 2024 study in the journal PLOS One.
The citation seems to indicate that by failing to institute proper vermin control procedures, the school may have violated federal OSHA regulations, making it a legal liability as well as a health concern.
The deadline for the school district to fix the infestation was in May, nearly eight months from the inspectors’ discovery. It’s still unclear if Amy Biehl Community School staff ever addressed the issue, since the state hasn’t published a resolution, meaning it’s unclear how long students and faculty were exposed to the potentially hazardous droppings.
Santa Fe Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment.
