Many kinds of pests pose significant problems for people and property. The pesticides that are often used in pest control carry potential risks to human health and environmental quality. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a common-sense approach to pest control that has been proven to effectively control pests and minimize health and safety risks to school occupants. It is therefore the policy of the Wilkes County School District to adopt IPM programs or incorporate IPM procedures into the maintenance program conducted by public school systems for control of pests.
An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program has six main components:
- Education. Pest Management Professionals (PMP) should receive training in IPM methods. In addition, school maintenance staff, teachers, students, administrators, and all other members of the school community should be educated about their roles in successful pest management.
- Monitoring. PMPs should inspect school buildings and grounds regularly and use monitoring traps and devices to assess levels of pest activity and recommend appropriate measures to prevent infestations.
- Prevention. The bulk of the effort in an IPM program is made in preventative measures: improving sanitation, pest-proofing, storage and waste disposal, making structural adjustments and repairs, and maintaining good plant and soil health.
- Least Hazardous Pest Control. When pest problems do occur, control methods are chosen to minimize toxicity and risk of exposure. Mechanical controls are favored over chemical ones; low-toxicity chemical formulations are preferred over high-toxicity formulations; and low-broadcast, highly targeted application methods are preferred over high-broadcast, less targeted methods.
- Notification. Administration, staff, students, and parents should be notified in writing before any chemical pesticide is applied on their school grounds, advised of appropriate measures to avoid exposure, and to identify and treat the symptoms of exposure in case of a problem.
- Record Keeping. School staff and PMPs should keep records of pest activity and control measures taken to establish trends that will help PMPs to anticipate and prevent future problems.
Pest: Any living organism (animal, plant, or micro-organism) that interferes with human activities at a school site.
Pest Management Objectives: The primary objective of the IPM program shall be to manage pest activity in such a manner that provides the students and staff a healthy working and learning environment with limited exposure to pests and pesticides. This program shall strive to preserve the integrity of the buildings and structures of the school and provide safe playing and athletic fields.
Pests will be managed to:
- Reduce any potential human health hazard or to protect against significant threat to public safety.
- Prevent loss of or damage to school structures or property.
- Prevent pests from spreading into the community or to plant and animal populations beyond the site.
- Enhance the quality of life for students and building occupants.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A comprehensive approach that combines effective, economical, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable methods to prevent and solve pest problems.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan: An IPM plan identifies important pests, establishes pest thresholds or action levels, and outlines strategies that will be implemented to attain IPM program goals and objectives. The plan provides a reference for pest management professionals, school staff, and others to assure implementation and compliance with the school IPM policy.
IPM Coordinator or Contact Person: Is at the center of the IPM implementation process and is critical to its success. The IPM contact person oversees the operation of the IPM program by maintaining and disseminating information about the IPM program to the school community and parents. He/She assists in formulating pest management contracts, selecting pest managers/pest control companies, keeping pest management records (including pesticide labels & Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), keeping records of pesticide applications, notifying parents and school officials of pesticide application and seeing that needed structural and landscape improvements are carried out. The IPM coordinator also recommends specific practices necessary for successful IPM implementation in schools.
Pest Manager: Pest Management Professional (PMP) or school maintenance person shall be appropriately trained and qualified to control pests in schools. This person must be familiar with the principles and practices of IPM, be licensed or certified as necessary, and comply with the school district’s IPM policy and IPM plan.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Procedures: An IPM decision based on information about the pest and situation shall consist of the following steps: Inspection; pest identification; estimation of pest-population to check against established action levels (if available); selection of appropriate management tactics and monitoring and assessment of the pest management strategy’s effectiveness. IPM may include exclusion, sanitation, maintenance, physical and biological strategies, or appropriate pesticide applications. IPM also includes educating all concerned parties about factors that lead to such pest problems and ways to eliminate or minimize these factors. If a pesticide must be used in order to meet pest management goals, then reduced risk formulations will be chosen and applied using methods that minimize inadvertent exposure to school staff or students. Although cost of control will be a factor, cost or staffing considerations alone will not be adequate justification for use of chemical control agents, and non-chemical pest management methods will be preferred. The application of pesticides will be subject to the school district policies and procedures, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, Federal regulations, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations (OSHA) as well as any state or local regulations and policies. The IPM Coordinator and PMP are responsible for maintaining compliance with all such regulations and policies.
School Facilities and Maintenance: The school district shall include pest management considerations in facilities planning and maintenance. Any landscaping, structural modifications, and sanitation changes recommended by the IPM contact person and the contracted pest management professional to reduce or prevent pest problems shall be addressed in a timely manner as budgets permit. Examples include proper placement and types of lights to reduce pest entry into buildings, placement and maintenance of dumpsters and other trash receptacles, pest-proof design of doors and ventilation systems, landscape designs that discourage indoor pests, good soil health, etc.
Education: Staff, students, pest managers, parents, and the public will be informed about potential school pest problems, school IPM policies and procedures, any chemical pesticide applications at school, and their respective roles in achieving the desired Integrated Pest Management (IPM) objectives.
Record Keeping: Records of all pest management activities shall be maintained. These include, for example, inspection records, monitoring records, pest surveillance sheets or other indicators of pest population, and a record of structural repairs and modifications. If pesticides are used, records shall be maintained on-site to meet the requirements of the state regulatory agency and school board.
Notification: School staff, students, and parents should be notified in advance of pesticide applications made at a school. Notices will be sent home, as well as posted in designated areas before applications are made. Some school districts may institute universal notification programs, while others may find that maintaining a registry of parents who wish to be notified is more practical. Under a registry system, parents may request that notification be sent home before certain types of pesticide treatments are made.
Adopted: November 6, 2006