June 16,
2004
First School District in PA Officially Becomes a "Star"
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - At a recent meeting of the Pittsburgh Board
of Education, the Pittsburgh School District was award a certificate
and plaque to become the fifth school district in the nation and the
first in Pennsylvania to become IPM STAR certified by the IPM
Institute of North America in recognition of its school integrated
pest management program.
IPM STAR
certification is a rigorous process that includes an on-site
inspection by an independent professional trained in integrated pest
management, or IPM. IPM is a kid-safe, economical and scientific,
step-wise approach to pest management. IPM integrates knowledge of
pest identity and biology with pest monitoring so that actions, if
any, can be taken at just the right time. In addition, IPM uses a
combination of management tactics such as biological, cultural,
physical and chemical that is more likely to be safe and effective.
Emphasis is placed on prevention of problems by eliminating conditions
conducive to pest entry and survival, with pesticide use as a last
resort.
To become
IPM STAR certified, the inspector examines the history of pest
problems, the condition of buildings and grounds as well as any
pesticides used in the past year. The school must have an IPM program
in place to guide administrators and staff as they respond to pest
issues, including preventing and avoiding problems before they occur.
The
certification process for the Pittsburgh School District was conducted
by Dr. Thomas Green, president of the IPM Institute of North America,
an IPM research and education non-profit based in Madison, Wisconsin.
"We're very pleased that Pittsburgh Public Schools has undertaken
this process, both to improve their IPM program and increase the
visibility of IPM as a great alternative for anyone who has to deal
with pest problems," states Green.
Legislation
passed last year requires all Pennsylvania public schools to provide
notification to parents, students and teachers in advance of pesticide
applications and requires schools to adopt an IPM plan to manage their
pest problems both in and out of the classroom. In addition, the least
toxic, shortest duration effective material is used. Pesticides are
not applied when students, teachers or staff are present in the
affected area to assure the safety of the school-learning environment.
The Pittsburgh School District developed such a plan with the aid of
the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program (PAIPM) five years
ago, and can attest that it works.
Maria Moio,
pest control operator and IPM coordinator for the Pittsburgh School
District, credits the cooperation she receives from the custodians,
landscapers, tradesmen and food service people in the school district.
"They do such a fine job, without their support we wouldn't be
receiving this award," says Moio. She also gives credit to her
supervisor Jay Boyd, director of plant operations for the school
district. Boyd supports Moio's efforts because he sees the benefits a
well-implemented IPM program. "We've had about a ninety-nine
percent decrease in pest problems due to Moio's efforts," he
says. "Education is really key, for the administrators, teachers
and students," Boyd insists.
For the
upcoming school year, Moio plans on adding more IPM trainings to the
almost 30 she has conducted so far and establishing an IPM education
committee. "I'm also creating a pilot program in one of our high
schools where the students will be trained in IPM and will take over
monitoring for pests in their building," says Moio.
The
first-of-its-kind IPM Star certification program is being funded by
the US Environmental Protection Agency and the National Foundation for
IPM Education and is available to professionals, organizations,
products and services. Green says they plan to expand the program to
allow cooperative extension and other local experts to complete the
required on-site inspection and reports, and, eventually, to offer
certification to pest control operators, landscape service
professionals, hospitals, and other public agencies,
For
more information on the IPM Star program, go to http://www.ipminstitute.org/ipmstar.htm,
School administrators and others who have questions about the
Pittsburgh School District's program can email Moio or phone (412)
488-4275.
The
Pennsylvania IPM (PA IPM) program is a collaboration between Penn
State and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at
promoting IPM in both agricultural and nonagricultural situations. The
PA IPM program's website at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu
contains a wealth of information and resources for schools adopting
IPM programs. By clicking on the "Schools" link, visitors
also can download "IPM for Pennsylvania Schools, A How-To
Manual." The link also leads to information about the school IPM
effort in Pennsylvania and to educational materials from across the
country. In addition, the site offers an interactive database to
assist teachers with IPM background information, lesson plans and
support materials from throughout the United States.
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Editors
Contact:
Kristie Auman-Bauer
PA IPM Program
(814) 865-2839
Email
