Zika Virus Response Planning: 
Interim Guidance for District and School Administrators in the Continental United States and Hawaii
CDC has developed interim guidance for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) district and school administrators for public health actions pertaining to Zika virus infection. This guidance is intended to address concerns about the risk for Zika virus infection in K-12 schools in the continental United States and Hawaii, provide school districts with information for planning school-related activities, and recommend actions that can be taken, in consultation with local public health authorities and government officials, to reduce the potential risk for Zika virus transmission on school premises and among students.

PESTS
Pest are populations of living organisms (animals, plants, or microorganisms) that interfere with use of the school site for human purposes. Strategies for managing pest populations will be influenced by the pest species and whether that species poses a threat to people, property, or the environment.

PEST MANAGEMENT
Approved pest management plans should be developed for the site and should include any proposed pest management measures.

• Pests will be managed to:

• Reduce any potential human health hazard or to protect against a significant threat to public safety.

• Prevent loss of or damage to school structures or property.

• Prevent pest form spreading into the community, or to plant and animal populations beyond the site.

• Enhance the quality of life for students, staff, and others.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES
IPM procedures will determine when to control pest and whether to use mechanical, physical, chemical, cultural or biological means. IPM practitioners depend on current, comprehensive information on the pest and its environment and the best available pest control methods. Applying IPM principles prevent unacceptable levels of pest activity and damage by the most economical means and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. The choice of using a pesticide will be based on a review of all other available options and a determination that these options are not acceptable or are not feasible.

Cost or staffing considerations alone will not be adequate justification for use of chemical control agents, and selected non-chemical pest management methods will be implemented whenever possible to provide the desired control. It is the policy of Humble I.S.D. to utilize IPM principles to manage pest populations adequately. The full range of alternatives, including no action will be considered. When it is determined that a pesticide must be used in order to meet important management goals, the least hazardous* material will be chosen. The application of pesticides is subject to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (7 United States Code 136 et seq.), Humble I.S.D. policies and procedures, Environmental Protection Agency regulations in 40 Code of Federal Regulations, Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, and state and local regulations.

EDUCATION Staff, students, pest managers and the public will be educated about potential school pest problems and the IPM policies and procedures to be used to achieve the desired pest management objectives.

RECORD KEEPING Records of pesticide use shall be maintained on site to meet the requirements of the state regulatory agency and School Board. Records must be current and accurate if IPM is to work. In addition, pest surveillance data sheets that record the number of pest or other indicators of pest populations are to be maintained to verify the need for treatments.

NOTIFICATION Humble ISD takes the responsibility to notify the school staff and students of upcoming pesticide treatments. Notices will be posted in designated areas at school and sent home to parents who wish to be informed in advance of pesticide applications.

PESTICIDE STORAGE AND PURCHASE Pesticide purchases will be limited to the amount authorized for use during the year. Pesticides will be stored and disposed of in accordance with the EPA-registered label directions and state regulations. Pesticides must be stored in an appropriate, secure site not accessible to students or unauthorized personnel.

PESTICIDE APPLICATORS Pesticide applicators must be educated and trained in the principles and practices of IPM and the use of pesticides approved by Humble ISD and they must follow regulations and label precautions. Applicators should be certified and comply with Humble ISD's IPM policy and Pest Management Plan.

* Precautionary statements are required on all pesticide labels. Signal words indicate the level of acute toxicity, the hazard to humans posed by the pesticide product. Every label bears the child hazard warning: Keep Out of Reach of Children.

Once a bat is reported, it should be assumed to be rabid. Only trained maintenance department personnel should attempt to remove the bat or bats.

Procedures for Building Supervisors and Principals:

1. Your role as a Building Supervisor, Principal, is to protect the students and/or staff in your building by isolating the bat if possible. If the bat is on a flat surface like a floor or sidewalk, attempt to place a can, box, bucket, etc. over the bat to keep it from escaping. If it is on a wall or ceiling, do not attempt to contain it.

2. If a bat is spotted in a room or a large area like a gym, auditorium or band hall, get all the occupants out of the room and secure the doors.

3. If a bat is spotted in a hallway, isolate the hallway and tell the students or staff in adjacent rooms to close the doors and stay in their rooms until the bat or bats are removed.

4. If a bat is spotted on the outside wall of a building, keep students away until IPM personnel arrive. 

5. During regular school hours call the Maintenance Department at: 281-641-8700 and report the incident.
If you find a bat on school property after normal school hours, weekends, holidays etc. call the Humble ISD after hours call out cell at: 281-960-6459.
If no response, call David Evans our IPM Coordinator at: 713-806-3084, or Tom Duffee at: 281-883-8184.

6. Once the bat has been captured and it is determined that it did or may have come into contact with a student or other personnel it will be sent to the City of Houston Health Department for testing.

If the bat is determined to be rabid, our IPM Coordinator will notify our Superintendant and building principal so they can alert their building occupants and parents.

7. For more information you can contact David Evans, IPM Coordinator at david.evans@humble.k12.tx.us or call 713-806-3084.

Upon sighting a snake either inside or outside, the following actions should be taken:

Instruct all students and staff to stay away from the snake. Do not touch it!

Immediately call our Integrated Pest Management personnel at the numbers listed below.

Upon arrival, our IPM personnel will remove the snake and begin a thorough investigation to be sure that no other snakes are present.

If more snakes are found, every effort will be made to exclude them from the building as humanely as possible. All possible entry points will be sealed to prevent further entry.

When a snake is found, if possible, please take a picture of it.
Inaturalist.org

Please try to keep track of the snake until our IPM personnel arrive. 

If a snake is spotted on the outside of a building, keep students away until IPM personnel arrive. 

If it is possible for a staff member to safely observe the snake until IPM personnel arrive, it will facilitate the safe removal.

During regular school hours, call the Maintenance Department at:
281-641-8700 and report the incident.

If you find a snake on school property after normal school hours, weekends, holidays etc., call the Humble ISD after hours. Call cell at: 281-960-6459

If there is no response, call David Evans, our IPM Coordinator, at: 713-806-3084 Or Leigh Ann Montgomery, 713-540-8004

Once the snake has been captured, we will attempt to relocate it to a more suitable habitat / environment. 

For more information, you can contact David Evans, IPM Coordinator or call 713-806-3084.