SFUSD Integrated Pest Management Program

San Francisco, California

January 21, 1998
(For Board Meeting of February 10, 1998)

SUBJECT:
Authorization of POLICY P3325 Integrated Pest Management Program

REQUESTED ACTION:
That the Board of Education authorizes Board of Education Policy P3325 – Integrated Pest Management Program

BACKGROUND:
On January 7, 1998 the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG) issued a report titled Failing Health – Pesticide Use in California Schools. A copy of this report is attached for your information. The key findings of the report include:

Highly toxic pesticides are used in California’s schools.
In California schools, pesticide use is the rule rather than the exception.
Least-toxic pest management is proven to be effective.
Parents, policymakers and the public are prevented from getting basic information about pesticide use in schools.

District staff has worked with representatives from the San Francisco Safe Schools Coalition to fashion an approach to institute an Integrated Pest Management program for SFUSD. Attached is a DRAFT resolution offered to the Board of Education for consideration that addresses appropriate recommendations for an Integrated Pest Management policy for SFUSD. Key recommendations relevant to SFUSD include:

End the use of the worst pesticides, including herbicides, immediately.
Switch to least-toxic pesticides by the year 2000. The SFUSD should use only those pesticides identified by the S.F. Department of the Environment as consistent with the San Francisco Integrated Pest Management program by the year 2000.
Notify the public of all pesticide applications. Parents should be kept informed about pesticide use in their children's schools. The school district should maintain a record of pesticide use on school grounds and make that information available to the public
Establish Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as the policy of the SFUSD. The SFUSD should commit to following IPM in all its pest management practices. The definition of IPM and the policy in general should follow that established by the San Francisco pesticide ordinance.
Establish a district -level IPM committee to oversee implementation of the new policy and develop implementation guidelines. An IPM committee comprised of parents, teachers, school administrators, district staff, students, and other concerned community members, should meet regularly to collaboratively find positive solutions to pest problems within the school district.
Allow for exemptions to the policy in case of threats to public health. Except in emergencies, such exemptions should be considered by the IPM committee.

Policy No: P3325

Article: BUSINESS AND NON INSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS
Section: FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT
Sub-section: INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SFUSD FACILITIES

BACKGROUND PREAMBLE:
The maintenance of a safe, clean, healthy environment for students and staff is essential to learning and is a goal of the San Francisco Unified School District.

The use of toxic chemicals to control pests and weeds may itself threaten staff and students' health and ability to learn.

The City and County of San Francisco has adopted a model Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy that ended the use of the most toxic pesticides on San Francisco City and County property and greatly reduced the County's reliance on chemical pesticides.

Similar programs in other school districts and institutions have shown that IPM is a viable, cost-effective approach to controlling pests.

POLICY:

That the District shall establish and follow an IPM policy based on the model policy established by the City and County of San Francisco, containing the following elements:
1. Monitoring to determine pest population levels.
2. Use of biological, cultural, physical tools to minimize health, environmental and financial risks from pests.
3. Use of chemical controls only as a last resort.
4. Use of chemical controls that pose the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment.
5. Careful monitoring of treatment to evaluate effectiveness.
That, effective immediately, the following categories of highly toxic pesticides shall not be used by District employees or used on property owned or leased by the District except as specifically exempted by this policy:
1. U.S. Environmental Protection Administration (U.S. EPA) acute toxicity category I and II pesticides.
2. Pesticides identified by the State of California as chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer, developmental or reproductive toxicity pursuant to California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Prop. 65).
3. Pesticides found by the U.S. E.P.A. to show evidence of causing cancer (E.P.A. carcinogenicity categories A, B, and C).
That effective January 1, 1999, only pesticides identified by the S.F. Department of the Environment as "reduced risk pesticides" pursuant to San Francisco Administrative Code 39.8 (g) may be used by District employees or used on property owned or leased by the District, except as specifically exempted by this policy.
The District and school sites shall, through various communication means, provide pre-notification to students, parents and staff of non-bait pesticide applications. The District shall post all areas treated with non-bait pesticide applications and posted notification shall remain from three days before to three days after treatment. The District shall provide publicly posted notification that identifies areas treated with pesticidal baits. The District shall distribute a fact sheet outlining the IPM program and pest control activities within the District to parents, students and staff at the beginning of the school year. The District and each site shall maintain a record of pesticide use on school grounds and make that information available to the public.
The District shall establish an IPM committee to develop implementation guidelines and oversee implementation of the new policy. The committee shall be comprised of parents, students, teachers, school administrators, representatives from the administration, facilities and landscape staff, any pest control company or companies contracted by the District to manage pests, and community environmental and public health organizations.
The District shall designate an IPM coordinator who shall be responsible for coordinating school district efforts to adopt IPM techniques, communicating goals and guidelines of the IPM program to staff and students, including conducting training, tracking pesticide use and ensuring that related information is available to the public, and presenting an annual report to the school board evaluating the progress of the IPM program.
The IPM committee may allow District staff or any company contracted to provide pest control to the District to apply a pesticide otherwise banned under this resolution based upon a finding that the protection of public health requires the use of that pesticide. Such exemptions shall be granted on a per-case basis and shall apply to a specific pest problem for a limited time. The IPM coordinator may grant emergency exemptions if action is required before the next meeting of the IPM committee. The IPM coordinator shall report all such emergency exemptions to the IPM committee.