All pre-school and public k-12 schools need to be compliance with the Healthy Schools Act. Schools must notify families if pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, and some disinfectants) are used on campus, and all school personnel (teachers, maintenance staff, etc) must take training from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation if they use any of these pesticides on campus (see FAQ). Parents are allowed to opt-in to advance notifications for any pesticide being used on campus and anyone can request pesticide use reports from a school district at any time. 

Sprayed pesticide applications are not allowed within 1/4 miles of public schools and daycare facilities during school hours (6am-6pm M-F) according to new California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) rules regarding Pesticide Use Near Schoolsites. Though sprayed pesticides often drift 1-mile or more from an intended target, these rules go a long way toward protecting children’s growing bodies and brains. These new rules also require farms that use pesticides within 1/4 miles of a school to submit a list of the pesticides that might be used near that school within the school year. These reports can be requested from the school district or from the Agricultural Commissioner’s office.

A Press Democrat Close to Home article discusses the new school buffer zone rules and how they might apply to schools in Sonoma County.