The PC MHA for Conception Bay South wants answers regarding plans to replace Frank Roberts Junior High in Foxtrap.

Barry Petten says the school is aging, falling apart and infested with rats.

Built in the 1960s, it pre-dates the population boom seen in recent decades, with Petten saying it’s now woefully overcrowded.

In the House of Assembly today, he was seeking answers on the school and plans to have it replaced.

“Why is a new school not in the budget?” he asked simply.

But the debate continually devolved into the usual political jabs, sparring and one-upmanship.

House Speaker Derek Bennett managed to restore order for a time, prompting some revelations about the pest problem at the school, as well as a number of other public buildings in the metro area.

Petten says photos circulating on social media show a bag of Clorox wipes on a teacher’s desk that was apparently chewed open by rats.

Other pictures purport to show new couches in the teachers’ staff room that have also been damaged by rodents.

Education Minister John Haggie acknowledges a problem with vermin in many public buildings this time of year.

The priority and plan, he says, is to immediately remediate and deal with the issues at Frank Roberts Junior High as they arise.