Gardening

Gardening services are provided to elementary schools by central crews. Generally, each school receives eight hours of gardening service every two weeks. Secondary schools have the equivalent of 4-12 hours daily of gardening service. They may elect to have site-assigned gardening staff, or alternatively to receive services from central crews who visit the sites once a week to provide an equivalent level of service hours. Weekly mowing and periodic renovation of athletic fields is conducted at all secondary schools by central landscaping crews (See Landscaping).

Tree Trimming

The District has in-house personnel who primarily handle emergency tree trimming and removal needs. Routine tree trimming under the District's current five-year cycle is generally contracted to private tree trimming companies by the Tree Trimming Unit.

Tree Trimming New Schedule-2   Other Resources: American Forests tree care information site The National Arbor Day Foundation a non profit group promoting tree care International Society of Arboriculture Society of American Foresters nationally recognized forestry organization Street Tree Seminar Tree Care Industry Association national trade association Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute over 1,480 listings of mill operators, manufacturers and retailers, as well as wood properties, grading, milling information, and useful links Western Chapter of International Society of Arboriculture

New School Opening Guide

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

School environments that are free of pests, such as ants, cockroaches, and rodents have positive impact on the learning conditions and the health and safety of students, staff, parents and the community. Conversely, pesticides may have adverse effects on the health and safety of students and staff. In recognition of these impacts, the Board of Education adopted an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy for use district-wide in March, 1999. The IPM policy provides guidance and direction in managing pests, while minimizing the use of pesticides, with the ultimate goal of not using any pesticides.

Landscaping

Central crews provide weekly mowing services and periodic renovation of athletic fields at secondary schools.

Tractor Mowing Schedule Route 1 Tractor Mowing Schedule Route 4 Tractor Mowing Schedule Route 2 Tractor Mowing Schedule Route 3 Tractor Mowing Schedule Route 5 Tractor Mowing Schedule Route 6 Reconditioning of Athletic Fields

Plant Operations Infobase

Site-Based Custodial

Each school is allocated custodial services on a Board-approved formula that is based on building and grounds square footage and enrollment. The budget for the custodial staff is provided under Program 1372 (see Sample Allotment Sheet below). Additional funding may be provided by Adult Education, the Continuation HS Program, etc. Each school is also provided an annual budget for custodial and gardening supplies under Funding Program 4731.

Due to budgetary constraints, the daily allocated custodial time is not sufficient to meet cleaning industry standards. To ensure the health and safety of students and staff, restroom and food services facilities must be cleaned one or more times daily in accordance with District policies. The Principal, Plant Manager, Complex Project Manager, and Area Operations Supervisor from the M & O Area should work jointly to establish priorities and frequencies for completion of other cleaning and custodial tasks at the school based on the remaining daily allotted custodial time (see Supervision Responsibilities below).

Written work schedules are mandatory for each custodial assignment based on the agreed priorities and frequencies of work to be completed daily. Good work schedules provide staff guidance and direction in the work they should complete each day. They should be posted in the Plant Manager's office so that substitute custodians have direction in the work for which they are responsible while assigned to the site. It is also desirable to post the work schedules in classrooms so that teachers are aware of the scheduled custodial tasks that they can expect to be completed each day.

M&O Area-Based Custodial Support

Each M & O Area has a small crew to provide substitute custodians to schools. Priority is given to elementary schools with small night custodial crews. Custodial support is also available from the M & O Areas to wash exterior windows above the second-floor level and to conduct major vandalism clean-up. In addition, Area Operations Supervisors provide technical assistance to the Principal and Plant Manager in the training, evaluation, and discipline of custodial staff. They conduct periodic site inspections during both the day and evening shifts to evaluate custodial services and to ensure that staff is onsite working as assigned.

Annual Deep Cleaning

Although annual deep cleaning is conducted by the site-based custodians at traditional calendar schools during the summer, winter, and spring breaks, the custodial staff at year-round crews do not have sufficient school close-down periods in which to conduct deep cleaning. Consequently, the Board of Education has provided supplemental funding for annual deep cleaning at year-round calendar schools. The schools may elect to hire additional custodians to conduct the deep cleaning, or they may receive such services from central crews. Over 80% of the schools elect the central crew services and the crews receive an overall written evaluation of "excellent" from schools over 85% of the time.

Year-round schools electing to conduct their own cleaning must have written work schedules for the staff dedicated to this function to ensure that the entire facility is deep cleaned over the course of a year (see Election of Annual Cleaning Option below).