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IPM
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Westerville City Schools |
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May 28, 2008 At Westerville City Schools, the numbers are only part of the program. A 90% reduction in pesticide applications since the initiation of their IPM program is impressive, but as Allen Wilson will tell you, it's the people that make the difference. When he was IPM Coordinator at Westerville, Wilson led district-wide workshops with kitchen and custodial staff, and met on a regular basis with key district administrators, supervisors, and staff members to hash out IPM issues. “The staff was receptive,” says Wilson, “and so was the administration. IPM is a cooperative effort - without them, it would be very difficult to achieve the results that we do.” In particular, Mike Ward, supervisor of Custodial Services; Jeff LeRose, Executive Director of Business Operations; Dan Wilgus, Facilities Manager; and Kenny Nichols, Grounds Team Member, were instrumental in developing Westerville's excellent IPM program. “These people,” Wilson says, “are the movers and shakers that I really rely upon for program sustainability and enhancement”. In total, there are 23 Westerville City School facilities with over 14,000 students and over 1,600 staff members. Wilson is now retired from Westerville City Schools, but continues to work with the district's IPM program through his business, Safe Zone IPM Consultation Services. In 2003-4, Westerville City Schools became a Monroe IPM Model school district. In 2005, they were presented the EPA's Children's Environmental Health Recognition Award. In 2008, they were awarded IPM STAR certification after passing a comprehensive, 37-point inspection by Dr. Marc Lame of Indiana University (the district is the 31st in the nation to earn this distinction). Dr. Lame was impressed with Westerville's progress after their initial inspection: “Although Westerville initially had a few issues that needed to be resolved, they did so with great care. Their documentation of the program is great, and will be a teaching tool for others interested in school IPM”. Wilson put together a comprehensive notebook including everything from their proposals to school administrators, to agendas from staff meetings, to pesticide application records, to their work order process. These documents will be a great resource for generations of administrators, staff and students entering the district. Westerville also continues to serve as a model for the state of Ohio by providing resources and information through numerous IPM workshops and their district IPM website. IPM STAR Certification is presented by the IPM Institute of North America in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program. - Prepared as part of the IPM STAR Certification process by the IPM Institute of North America for posting on its website with permission from Westerville City Schools. |
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