Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout3523 Bed BugsSTUDENTS 3523 Page 1 of 3 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Bed Bugs BED BUGS The Board of Trustees of Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 requires a clean and safe learning and working environment for all students and employees. Bed bugs can hitchhike into schools creating challenges for administrators, teachers and staff members. Education and preparation are the keys to success in dealing with bed bug infestation. School faculty and staff will receive annual training for management of bed bugs and given the guide “Bed Bugs Go to School: A Guide for Teachers and Staff” (3523E) from the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs. The district shall strive to keep its buildings, school buses, and other facilities free of bed bugs. Guidelines 1. A student shall not be excluded from school attendance for bed bugs. a. Student’s privacy and dignity must be protected. b. Any staff member, student, or other person who sees bed bugs in a District facility should report the sighting immediately to the school principal/designee or District office. Infestation Investigation 1. Evidence of infestation may include: a. Additional bed bugs are found in the student’s home or on other family member’s belongings; b. Bed bugs are found on other classroom students or staff; c. Bed bugs are found throughout the building; or d. Bed bugs are found on school buses. 2. Management of Infestations a. Provide educational assistance, as necessary to encourage parents to treat for infestation; b. Enlist appropriate social agencies if instances of infestation are repeated; c. Re-inspect student’s belongings, desks, classrooms and/or school busses until the problem is resolved; and d. Direct staff to take steps to prevent or eliminate bed bug infestations, such as: STUDENTS 3523 Page 2 of 3 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Bed Bugs 1. Removing clutter; 2. Storing student coats, lunch boxes, backpacks, and other items brought from home in individual plastic containers or in another manner; and 3. Cleaning hard surfaces with an approved cleaning product. 3. Bed Bugs found on a Student If bed bugs are found on a student’s clothing or belongings, the following steps may be taken: a. Contact the district nurse or school principal/designee; b. Principal/designee may notify the Facility and Transportation Departments, as needed. c. Discreetly bring the student to a private room with two same gender staff members. Examine student’s clothes, belongings and check skin for bites, rashes or open sores. Collect any specimens (bugs) seen by containing them with clear tape for accurate identification. d. Isolate student’s belongings in tight-sealed containers or plastic bags away from other student’s belongings to reduce the chance of bed bugs spreading while the problem is being resolved. If feasible, the student may be provided with a change of clothes and shoes. e. The principal/designee will notify student’s parents and send home educational materials, including letter (3523F) specific for bed bugs. 4. Bed Bugs found in a District facility or School Bus If bed bugs are found in a District facility, classroom or school bus the following steps may be taken: a. Contact the school principal/designee, district nurse, or facilities management director; b. The building principal/designee may notify staff and the parents/guardians of students in affected classrooms or school buses that bed bugs have been identified and of the measures being taken to deal with and eradicate the problem. STUDENTS 3523 Page 3 of 3 Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 Bed Bugs c. The school custodial staff may be notified to vacuum the affected area during the end of the day cleaning routine, to place that vacuum bag into a garbage bag and tightly seal it for disposal and to clean the vacuum. d. Inspection and sanitizing of school buses. e. Contact the District’s contracted professional pest management company to conduct a thorough inspection of the affected areas if bed bugs have been trapped or seen in a District building or vehicle on multiple occasions. f. Pesticides shall only be applied on district property by a licensed pest control professional. 5. The building principal/designee may arrange training in the identification and prevention of the transmission of bed bugs. DEFINITIONS Bed Bug: common name for Cimex lectularius, a small-sized public health pest that feeds on blood, causing itchy bites and skin irritation. Bed bugs do not transmit or spread disease. Infestation: the presence of an unusually large number of insects or animals in one place, typically so as to cause damage or disease. The best way to tell if you have a bedbug infestation is to see the live, apple-seed-size insect. Pesticides: used in schools must comply with state and local integrated pest management (IPM) and pesticide notification laws and regulations; to be applied by licensed professionals. Adopted Reviewed Revised 04/14/2021 Legal References: Idaho Code § 3-512 Governance of Schools Environmental Protection Agency: Bed Bugs Go to School: A Guide for Teachers and Staff. More information: www.epa.gov/bedbugs