Cherry Hill Elementary students learning remotely Friday due to bats in school
Sep 26, 2025, 10:18 AM
FILE: A bat, provided by the CDC. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
OREM — Students at Cherry Hill Elementary School in Orem will be learning online for the second straight day on Friday, because of bats.
“A few bats were discovered earlier in the week,” said Rich Stowell, Director of Communications for the Alpine School District. “As we investigated, our crews found many, many bats… living in the ceiling in part of the building.”
Stowell told KSL NewsRadio they opted to have kids learn online while workers remove the bats to avoid disruptions to learning and potential health risks.
“Bats can be carriers of disease and they’re also difficult to remove,” Stowell said.
According to an email sent to parents from Cherry Hill Assistant Principal Tiffany Hone that was shared with KSL, the school has hired a licensed wildlife management company to remove the bats, and they are “in full compliance with health and safety guidelines,” the email reads.
Stowell said they hope to have the bats removed and kids back in the classroom by Monday morning.
On Friday, buses will not be running, but the school is offering grab-and-go lunches at the cafeteria, as well as food for the weekend for those who need it.
Stowell also said the school is open if anyone needs to grab something or ask questions.
