The NYS IPM Program works with schools to reduce risks to children from both pests and the overuse of pesticides.

Pest management in schools has received increased attention in New York State and nation-wide. This is due to the critical need to decrease pesticide use to protect our children, who, by nature of their size and developmental stage, are at greater risk than adults. Yet, at the same time, we cannot compromise the quality of pest control because pests represent an equally important health hazard. Schools are especially challenging to manage because they include such varied settings as classrooms, cafeterias, laboratories, auditoriums, theaters, playing fields, playgrounds, and gardens. These areas are heavily used for a variety of purposes, including after-hours public meetings. Visitors, staff, and students are frequently in direct contact with the lawns, athletic fields, flowers, trees, playgrounds, and buildings on the school grounds. Recent passage of a New York State (NYS) pesticide notification law has resulted in additional pressure on schools to reduce pesticide use.

We developed a "learning community" of school district personnel, peer mentors, and cooperative extension educators to develop district-level model school IPM programs in the lower Hudson River Valley. In 2004, we conducted the initial assessment of the cooperating school districts. The school districts have been implementing their IPM improvement p"ans based on the i"itial assessments. A final assessment of each school district's progress was undertaken in 2006. To supplement a 2001 statewide survey of NYS public school pest management policies and practices, we initiated on-site school interviews in 2002. To date, 38 school districts throughout the state have been interviewed. In October 2006, we held a fifth meeting of the Statewide School IPM Committee. In addition to the diverse membership updating each other on their school IPM activities, we interacted with the NYS Education Department on the proposed High Performance Schools guidelines for facilities and had a special presentation by the IPM Institute on that organization's national school IPM STAR certification program. NYS IPM Program staff participated in a nation-wide group preparing a USDA-funded Pest Management Strategic Plan for school IPM and started the development of outreach efforts to small, rural school districts in the Adirondacks. Throughout 2006, we made presentations to diverse audiences and worked with specific districts (including New York City) on school IPM related topics.

We are finishing the two-year "learning community" project. The cooperating school districts made numerous specific IPM-related improvements. One district received the IPM Institute's STAR certification. This is a national award indicating achievement of a high level of school IPM policies and practices. The "learning community" school districts hosted a demonstration workshop for other area districts highlighting IPM-related improvements to athletic fields. On-site team evaluations of pest management programs were undertaken at two additional school districts in other regions of the state. The school interviews are providing valuable input for school IPM research and extension activities. NYS IPM Program staff have been using the interview results to guide project development. The "learning community" project is one such effort. One of the highlights of the interview results is that, when implemented, schools consider IPM successful because they have fewer pest problems while reducing pesticide use. The interviews have revealed that the major challenges to schools in practicing IPM include lack of funds, food in classrooms, constituency apathy/resistance, and heavy use of facilities. The Statewide School IPM Committee continues to help participants to address needs identified in 2004. Desired indicators included effective IPM record keeping, IPM in the curricula, pest prevention incorporated into facility construction, and IPM incorporated into teacher training.

USDA 406 Integrated Programs

• Gary Couch (NYS IPM Progrram, Cornell)
• Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann (NYS IPM Program, Cornell)
• Rose Baglia (Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange Co.)
• Rick Harper (Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester Co.)
• Kevin Trotta (North Rockland School District)
• Dan Dickerson (New York City Board of Education)