Pesticide Use Report/ IPM
Pesticide Use Reporting and Integrated Pest Management
The Healthy School Act of 2000 with new amendments made in 2015, requires that all schools provide parents and staff members with annual written notification of expected pesticide use on school sites. Menlo Park City School District has developed an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan that relies on long term pest prevention methods and limits the use of pesticides. The IPM program begins with education, habitat management, and alteration of maintenance activities, followed by physical, biological, and then chemical control. As part of the annual student enrollment process, parents or guardians may choose to receive notifications about individual pesticide applications at their child’s school site. Those who opt in will be notified at least 72 hours in advance of each application.
Link to CA.Gov DPR: http://apps.cdpr.ca.gov/schoolipm/
Click here to view MPCSD IPM Plan
Click here to view MPCSD's 2025 Pesticide Use Letter
If you have any questions regarding our IPM Plan, please call our MOT Department at (650) 321-7140.
Additional Information and FAQ's
WHAT IS THE HEALTHY SCHOOLS ACT ? When pesticides are used at schools and child care centers in California, the Healthy Schools Act defines requirements for school and child care center staff, pest management professionals, and the Department of Pesticide Regulation. The California Legislature originally passed the law in 2000. The Healthy Schools Act also encourages schools and child care centers collectively referred to as school sites to adopt effective, low-risk pest management practices, also known as integrated pest management or IPM.
WHAT IS IPM ? Integrated pest management, or IPM, focuses on effective, low-risk pest management practices. IPM is a big picture approach to pest management that considers people and the environment when pest management decisions are made. There are a variety of IPM practices, including cleaning regularly, closing gaps into buildings, fixing leaky pipes, setting traps, and choosing low-risk pesticides. With the amount of IPM information available today and an enthusiastic IPM leader, all school sites can successfully manage pests!
WHAT IS A PESTICIDE ? A pesticide is any substance intended to prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate any pest. Pests include insects, rodents, weeds, and germs. Insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides, sanitizers, and disinfectants are all pesticides.