A Texas elementary school principal was hospitalized after being bitten by a rattlesnake while trying to move it away from a doorway at Double Creek Elementary School in Jarrell ISD. The incident turned an ordinary school day into a reminder of how quickly wildlife encounters can become dangerous on school grounds.
Here's what to know
KXAN reported that Williamson County ESD 5 was called to Double Creek Elementary School after Principal Dr. Craig Wilson was bitten near a side entrance. Jarrell ISD assistant superintendent Bob Mabry said the rattlesnake was "small" and that Wilson had been trying to clear it from the area around the door.
KXAN reported that district officials expect Wilson to leave the hospital soon. Mabry also told KXAN that the district sometimes gets reports of rattlesnakes at its schools, though it has not had major problems with them.
More background
Rattlesnakes are native to Texas, and sightings are not uncommon in places where development overlaps with brush, grassland, or other natural habitat. Schools, parking lots, sidewalks, and side entrances can all be close to the kinds of spaces snakes use for shelter or travel.
In many cases, snakes bite defensively rather than aggressively, especially when they are cornered, startled, or handled. A doorway at a busy school is exactly the kind of setting where a dangerous split-second interaction can happen.
What's being done?
Jarrell ISD has already taken practical steps in response. Mabry said, according to KXAN, that maintenance crews are coordinating with pest control on prevention steps, and administrators have told teachers to stay alert.
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Prevention often comes down to routine habitat management: checking exterior areas, reducing hiding spots near buildings, and making sure response plans are clearly in place.
After speaking with Wilson following the bite, Mabry told KXAN the principal was "doing well."
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