Parents
School Ground
Ask school administrators if
an IPM coordinator has been appointed for your district
Ask
administrators if the school has an IPM advisory committee, which should consist
of the IPM coordinator and teachers, students, parents, health staff, kitchen
and maintenance personnel. Understand the current
legislation requiring schools to notify parents (who request advance
notification) before pesticides are applied on school grounds.
There is nothing more important than a safe school environment for our children. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), by reducing pests and minimizing pesticide use, helps to provide this safe environment. Every Pennsylvania school is required to use IPM to manage pests on school grounds. In addition, IPM is a state academic standard requiring that all K-12 students learn about the benefits of IPM.
As parents, you should inquire about the status of IPM use on school grounds and IPM being taught to your child at school. These are both required by new legislation & academic standards.
IPM in school curriculum: Integrated Pest Management is now required to be taught in K-12 as part of the new PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology. The specific IPM standard is number 5 of nine different subject areas within the Environment and Ecology standards.
IPM on school grounds: An IPM Plan is required to be implemented in all Pennsylvania schools for pest control in school buildings and grounds (Pennsylvania Senate Bill 705 - Act 35). Schools are also prohibited from applying pesticides when students will be present in the school building or on school grounds for seven hours; and are required to notify parents who request advance notification before applying pesticides in the school or on its grounds (Pennsylvania House Bill 1289 - Act 36).
