News Source: California Safe Schools

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 18, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — California Safe Schools, a nonprofit dedicated to children’s environmental health and safety, reminds parents, guardians, teachers and school staff at all California K-12 public schools and child care centers to file the Right to Know Pesticide Use Notification form at the start of the school year. This form is mandated under California legislation, The Healthy Schools Act.

Image caption: California Safe Schools.

Filing this form with your school office ensures you receive advance notification of any pesticide applications in or around the school site. It is a critical safeguard and part of each school’s commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment.

Under The Healthy Schools Act, a “schoolsite” is defined as: 

Any facility used for public day care, kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school purposes. The term includes the buildings or structures, playgrounds, athletic fields, school vehicles, or any other area of school property visited or used by pupils. “Schoolsite” does not include postsecondary educational facilities attended by secondary pupils or private day care or school facilities.

The Right to Know Notification requires schools to provide at least 72 hours’ advance notice before any pesticide application on a campus.

Emergency Applications: In rare cases when pesticides must be used immediately to address a health or safety emergency, schools may apply them without the standard 72-hour advance notice. However, The Healthy Schools Act requires that the school district designee make every effort to provide the required notification even under emergency conditions.

Filing the Right to Know Pesticide Use Notification with your school’s Main Office ensures you will receive alerts before applications occur. This allows parents, guardians or teachers to make informed decisions on application days. Importantly, notification can be requested for any reason, not solely for known health concerns.

HISTORY

The Right to Know Pesticide Use Notification program began with the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) groundbreaking Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy in 1999. This policy embraces the Precautionary Principle – the idea that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or environment, precautionary measures should be taken even without conclusive scientific evidence. As part of this approach, LAUSD has not used Roundup for more than 20 years, setting an important precedent in protecting children’s health. The success of the LAUSD IPM policy led directly to the passage of The California Healthy Schools Act of 2000.

The “Right to Know” notifications are a critical tool that ensures parents, guardians, teachers and staff remain informed, connected, and empowered within their school community. For more information about pesticide application policies at your school, visit your school’s website or contact the school or school district directly” said Robina Suwol, founder and executive director of California Safe Schools.

Learn More:

• California Healthy Schools Act: Every Child Deserves a Healthy Schoolsite (PDF: https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/hsa_factsheet.pdf

• California Healthy Schools Act (full text) (PDF): http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/99-00/bill/asm/ab_2251-2300/ab_2260_bill_20000927_chaptered.pdf

• Los Angeles Unified IPM Policy (PDF): https://www.lausd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=76990&dataid=127605&FileName=IPM_Policy.pdf

• California Safe Schools – https://www.calisafe.org/

• California Department of Pesticide Regulation – https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/

About California Safe Schools:

California Safe Schools (CSS) is dedicated to protecting the health and safety of students, teachers, and school staff through education, advocacy, and policy initiatives that promote safe learning environments across California. CSS spearheaded the effort to create the Los Angeles Unified School District’s celebrated Integrated Pest Management Policy in 1999 that led to California Legislation: The Healthy Schools Act. https://www.calisafe.org/.

MEDIA ONLY CONTACT:
Robina Suwol
Executive Director, California Safe Schools
Phone: 818-785-5515
Email: calisafe@earthlink.net

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