Annual Asbestos Notification

  Owatonna Public Schools, in accordance with the Federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency
Response Act (AHERA) continues to implement an E.P.A. approved asbestos
management plan. This plan has been developed to identify and manage asbestos
containing materials within ISD #761 buildings. ISD #761 approaches this issue in a safe
and proactive manner to ensure the health and safety of students, staff, and other building occupants.

The following asbestos related activities have been completed in the 2023-2024 year or
will be conducted within the 2024-2025 year throughout Owatonna Public School buildings.

Annual indoor air quality (IAQ) Notification

Owatonna Public Schools ISD #761 in coordination with the Minnesota Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed an indoor air quality management plan. A factor of the IAQ management plan is the following yearly correspondence to all district residents on the status of IAQ issues within the district.

Formal approval of the IAQ Management Plan was done by the ISD #761 School Board.
The following IAQ related activities have occurred in the 2023-2024 school year and are
planned for the 2024-2025 school year.

 

Throughout the upcoming year, ISD #761 will continue to respond to IAQ concerns in a proactive manner to ensure the health and safety of students, staff and building visitors. If you have questions relating to IAQ or would like to review the district IAQ management plan, please feel free to contact Bob Olson, Director of Facilities, Infrastructure and Security at 507-444-8606.

Owatonna Public Schools Integrated Pest Management notification

Janet B. Johnson Parents' Right-To-Know Act of 2000

All Minnesota schools are required to inform parents/guardians and school employees that they may request to be notified prior to pesticide application on school property. Pesticides include chemicals which are used to control insects, weeds, rodents or other pests as defined by the law (M.S. 123B.575, Subd. 9).

To provide the required information, schools must maintain a list of parents/guardians and school employees who request notification. Schools must also provide information about individual pesticide applications upon request, including the name of the pesticide product, and the time and location of the planned application. An estimated schedule of pesticide applications is available for review or copying at the school office.

Pesticides and non-chemical treatments may be used in combination in and around schools for a variety of reasons, including the control of pests which have the potential to bite, sting, spread disease, cause asthma, and/or trigger an allergic reaction. Pesticides may also be used to prevent or control damage to materials within the school building or to the school building itself, or to control pests or weeds that are seen as a nuisance.

The long-term health effects on children from the application of such pesticides or the class of chemicals to which they belong may not be fully understood. Children may be more susceptible to pesticides than adults due to their smaller size and rapid growth and development. Also, their playful behavior may expose them to more pesticide residue.

To limit the potential pesticide exposure, this school follows safety regulations to ensure pesticides are applied properly. All pesticide products, which are used in and around school buildings, are required to be registered with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, school employees and certified and licensed applicators are required by state and federal law to comply with all requirements of the pesticide label, including building sites, application rates, re-entry intervals, posting, use of personal protective equipment, use restrictions, and disposal on the product label.

If you would like to be notified prior to pesticide applications made on days other than those specified in the estimated schedule (excluding emergency applications), please contact:

Owatonna Public Schools

Attention: Director of Facilities and Infrastructure

Attention: Bob Olson
515 West Bridge Street
Owatonna, MN 55060
507-444-8606

Lead-in-water annual notice

Minnesota Statute 121A.335 requires public school buildings serving pre-kindergarten through grade 12 to test for lead in water every 5 years. This statute also requires school districts to make the results of the testing available to the public for review and to notify parents of the availability of the information. Notification may be accomplished by publishing a statement in a “Back to School” newsletter or publication that is available to staff, student, parents and the public.

Owatonna Public Schools is committed to providing a safe working and learning environment for employees and students. The District has developed a lead in water management plan and testing program that complies with Minnesota Statute 121A.335,
as well as recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Lead Contamination Control Act (LCCA) of 1988 and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), and Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

For more information on Owatonna Public Schools lead reduction and testing program, please feel free to contact Bob Olson, Director of Facilities, Infrastructure and Security at 507-444-8606.