DALLAS – A one-day program for school integrated pest management coordinators will be held July 28 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas.
“All Texas public school districts must have an integrated pest management program and must appoint and train a pest management coordinator to oversee all pesticide and pest control operations,” said Janet Hurley, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service school integrated pest management specialist in Dallas.he program is scheduled from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Building C classroom at the center, which is at 17360 Coit Road.

Integrated pest management, or IPM, can be used by anyone with proper training, Hurley said, adding that AgriLife Extension is the only state agency that conducts required training in school IPM.

“If you’re a new integrated pest management coordinator and have not yet taken the six-hour mandatory training, this class is for you,” she said. “But whether this is your first time or you just need a refresher course, this class will help coordinators understand their role in the school IPM program and help prepare them for Texas Department of Agriculture inspections.”

She said school integrated pest management coordinators are mandated by the state to obtain six hours of continuing education credits every three years.

The course will cover legal requirements for schools, an introduction to IPM, how to monitor schools under the new requirements and a hands-on exercise to understand the difference between green, yellow and red category pesticides.

The program fee is $135. Advanced registration is requested through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Conference Registration website at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu. Enter “IPM” in the search to find the class. Registration at the door will be $155.

All participants will receive a three-ring notebook with necessary forms and paperwork on school IPM program implementation, Hurley said.

“If schools in the area would like to have their IPM program reviewed, we are willing to do that free of charge,” Hurley said.

For more information about school integrated pest management, go to http://schoolipm.tamu.edu or call 877-747-6872. For questions about registering with a purchase order or to request W-9 forms, call 979-845-2604.

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