Local Schools in North Carolina Win State Wide Recognition
(Beyond Pesticides, October 31, 2005) On October 24, 2005, twenty-one school districts in the state of North Carolina were recognized at a ceremony for schools that safeguarded children’s health by eliminating the routine application of pesticides in schools by adopting an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. Presenting the awards at the ceremony was Dr. Jon Ort, Director of Cooperative Extension at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Officials from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, North Carolina School Boards Association, North Carolina Pest Management Association, and others were in attendance.

Children spend almost half their time in school. A study published this summer in the Journal of American Medical Association, found that students and school employees are being poisoned by pesticide use at schools and from drift off of neighboring farmlands. IPM is a common-sense approach to pest control that dramatically reduces the risk of exposure to pesticides for students, teachers and staff in our public schools. There is a growing, nation-wide movement to protect children’s health using IPM. To date seventeen states have enacted school IPM laws.

In North Carolina, local school districts have taken the lead in implementing creative, cost-effective programs that ensure clean, safe learning environments for children. The NCSU Integrated Pest Management Program recognized 11 school districts that have already implemented an IPM program, as well as 10 districts that are in the process of implementing new programs. The combined result of their efforts is providing more than 375,000 students and staff in North Carolina an opportunity to learn, work and play in an environment where they are not exposed to toxic pesticide residues.

The recognition ceremony was held at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.