Dear Parent or Guardian:

The Healthy Schools Act (AB 2260) of 2000 requires all California School Districts to notify parents and guardians of pesticides/herbicides they expect to apply during the year. We intend to use the following pesticides/herbicides in your school this year:

NAME OF PESTICIDE/HERBICIDE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

• Arilon/Indoxacarb
• Maxforce Granular Bait/Hydamethylon
• First Strike/Difethialone
• Turflon Ester/Triclopyr
• PreM Aqua Cap/Pendimethalin

You can find more information regarding these pesticides/herbicides and pesticide use reduction at the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s website at: http://www.cdpr.ca.gov

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Engel at 408-522-8225.

Healthy Schools Act (AB2260) Policy Statement and Annual Parent Notification Letter

Policy

It is the policy of the Sunnyvale School District to implement the Healthy Schools Act (AB2260) policies and procedures to control structural and landscape pests/weeds and minimize the exposure of children, faculty, and staff to pesticides/herbicides.

Pests

It is the policy of the school district to control pests in the school environment. Pests such as cockroaches, fleas, fire ants, stinging wasps, termites and rodents are annoying and can disrupt the learning environment in schools.  Pests are known to bite, sting, or transmit diseases, and may also cause allergic responses.

Pesticides/Herbicides

It is the policy of this school district to reduce exposure to pesticides and herbicides in the school environment. When pesticides or herbicides are used to control pests and weeds in schools, there is potential for human exposure. Excessive exposure may result in pesticide/herbicide poisoning or allergic responses in sensitive individuals. Children may be more susceptible to pesticides than adults due to their smaller size and rapid growth and development.

AB 2260, the Healthy School Act of 2000

• Non-chemical prevention of pests and weeds is always preferred using such methods as sanitation, exclusion, and cultural practices.
• The selection and use of the least hazardous method and materials effective for the control of targeted pests and weeds will be implemented.
• Precision targeting of pesticides and herbicides to areas not contacted by or accessible to children, faculty, and staff will be implemented.
• Application of pesticides/herbicides will only be used as needed to correct verified problems.
• All parents and staff will be notified annually in writing of the anticipated pesticide/herbicide products and applications to be regularly used throughout the school year. Parents may request in writing a separate written notice for each pesticide/herbicide application 72 hours prior to the anticipated application.
• Warning signs will be posted at all entrances to the school district property 24 hours prior to regular pesticide/herbicide applications and will remain posted for 72 hours after the application.
• Active ingredients of all pesticides/herbicides used by the school district and/or copies of AB 2260 may be obtained by written request to the Manager of Operations, Jeff Engel, at 825 W. Iowa Ave, Sunnyvale. CA 94086 or by contacting the California Department of Pesticide Regulation website www.cdpr.ca.gov

In the event of an “emergency” application of a pesticide to control a specific and documented problem, signs will be posted immediately and remain posted for 72 hours following the application procedure.

Success

The success of the Healthy Schools Act (AB2260) in schools is dependent upon:

• The full cooperation of administrators, faculty, maintenance/custodial staff, parents, students, and the community.
• The establishment of a District-wide coordinator
• School-based safety committees that may include pest management and pesticide policies and procedures as part of their agenda (sanitizers/wipes)
• Each school designates a staff member to assist with the Healthy Schools Act and ensure pest management records are maintained.

The Sunnyvale School District invites questions, concerns, and suggestions from our parents, community, students, and staff. All comments addressing the above-noted policy should be addressed to Jeff Engel at 825 W. Iowa Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086.