Parents and teachers at an elementary school in Northeast D.C. say they’re concerned after raccoon droppings and paw prints were found inside.

Images from inside Noyes Elementary School appear to show traces of raccoons. In one photo shared by the Washington Teachers’ Union, what appears to be a raccoon paw print can be seen on the page of a children’s book.

Five raccoons have been captured so far, the Department of General Services said. From May 3 to June 5, the department and wildlife experts have conducted daily trap checks, canine-assisted inspections, thermal imaging scans and cleanings of affected areas.

Parents told News4 that concerns about raccoons in the building have grown for weeks.

“Well, my guy has talked about the raccoon, although it was not specifically in his classroom. But the children at ages 6, 7, and 8 – it’s a phenomenon to them. It’s exciting,” Deborah Gaddis said. “They don’t recognize the danger of these things at those ages, and we do.”

Raccoon feces can have parasites called raccoon roundworm. If ingested or inhaled, it can cause neurological damage.

The teachers’ union is urging DC Public Schools not to use the school as a summer school site this year and instead undertake a comprehensive raccoon abatement plan and an intensive, building‑wide cleaning before the start of the next school year.

“I think it needs a deep cleaning. You know, it could be feces, anything that’s around that can affect the kids,” another parent said. “I think it’s a good idea to close it.”

Families said the school has kept them informed about the raccoons but that they want to see more visible action to make sure the problem is fully addressed.

“Give us a little more confidence in the day instead of us worrying about our children when we are in our offices working,” Gaddis said.

DGS said crews sealed potential entry points and installed cameras to monitor any future activity. They said they’ll keep monitoring the situation until there is no more raccoon activity.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.