Creating Healthier Schools

Creating Healthier Schools 

Jim Jones, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (far right), and school leaders toured John McDonogh High School in New Orleans in January.

Many schools are stuck on a “treadmill” of never-ending pesticide applications, without addressing the underlying issues that make schools attractive to pests. If we can make it so pests aren’t attracted in the first place, the need for pesticides in schools would be greatly reduced.

Choosing a smart, sensible and sustainable approach can reduce pests and pesticide risks, create a healthier environment for our children and save schools money in pesticide treatment and energy costs from improved insulation as a result of sealing cracks and adding door sweeps. We call this approach Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

In January, I traveled to Louisiana to learn about the success of an EPA grant to bring this healthier, more sustainable approach to the 40,000 children in Orleans Parish. I visited John McDonogh High School and witnessed first-hand how it was transformed by Integrated Pest Management.

The presence of rats and other pests can become a plague on a school; John McDonogh High was a case-in-point. However, through strong school leadership and technical support for IPM, John McDonogh High was transformed into a healthier environment for children, and was no longer known for its pest problem.

Simple preventive measures like sealing cracks and openings, installing door sweeps, fixing water leaks and keeping food in sealed containers can make a school unappealing to pests. Where preventive measures are not sufficient to eliminate pests, the judicious and careful use of pesticides can complete your school’s pest control strategy.

Here’s what we’re doing to get more schools off the “pest control treadmill.” On March 12, we announced three new grants to promote School Integrated Pest Management nationwide to help more schools adopt a smart, sensible and sustainable approach to addressing pests:

  • The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension project (www.epa.gov) will develop a central, internet-based hub for materials and phone apps so more school districts across the country will have the information and tools they need to adopt an IPM program.
  • The University of Arizona (www.epa.gov) will pilot a training and certification program for school staff (custodians, kitchen staff, and school administrators) in eight states and four tribes, partnering with five other universities and stakeholders. Once finalized, the training materials will be available free to schools nationwide.
  • The Michigan State University (www.epa.gov) project will directly assist 5% of Michigan and Indiana schools to adopt IPM through hands-on education, web-based training and coalition-building. Roughly 135,000 children may benefit.

What are your ideas to get more schools off the “pest control treadmill?” How can we bring successful models to more of the 15,000 school districts across the country? Please email your ideas to [email protected].

— This article is reprinted (with update) from the March 12, 2014 blog entitled, EPA Connect the Official Blog of EPA’s Leadership. You can access the blog at blog.epa.gov/epaconnect.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Jim Jones is the assistant administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He is responsible for managing the office, which implements the nation’s pesticide, toxic chemical and pollution-prevention laws.

Featured

  • University of Connecticut Upgrades Basketball Facility’s AV Systems

    The University of Connecticut recently partnered with Metinteractive to upgrade the AV systems of the Gampel Pavilion basketball facility on its campus in Mansfield, Conn., according to a news release.

  • Texas A&M Adds ALPR Technology to Parking Solutions

    Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently integrated automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology into its parking services and enforcement strategies, according to a news release. The university’s Transportation Services division deployed Genetec AutoVu ALPR to manage the campus’ 36,000+ parking spaces.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2025 New Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning is now accepting entries for the 2025 New Product Awards! The program’s goal is to honor the outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products and services are particularly noteworthy in helping to improve K–12 and Higher Education learning environments.

  • Illinois Elementary School Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

    Heather Hill Elementary School, part of Flossmoor School District 161 in Palatine, Ill., recently broke ground on a new addition to the school focused on student support and security, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers for the expansion as part of a longer-term facility planning and modernization initiative.

Digital Edition