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Notices and Press Releases
Notice of Video/Audio/Photography and Use of Student Work Release
Report on Questions Regarding Pesticide Use at and Near Londonderry SchoolsFrom time to time, video/audio recordings and/or photographs are made of various school activities and classes which may be cablecast over the local educational access channel, LEO21, or other cable or broadcast channels and/or displayed/streamed at the District or a school Web site, on the school district FM station, WLLO-LP, or in a district/school print or electronic publication. These may also be used within the Londonderry School District.
Students may appear visually and/or be heard. On occasion, individual students or small groups of students may be featured in interviews, on-camera discussion, etc. These students may be identified by name; however only first names will be used on the screen when individual students are shown unless the district secures written permission from a parent/guardian to use a last name. Additionally, photos, student artwork, projects or performances may be displayed or shared. Student produced work (print or non-print) may be used by the district in the course of instruction, accreditation, presentation, and action research.
The Londonderry School District may also reproduce, make alterations or additions to, and may copyright the material in whole or in part. The district will notify parents/guardians on an individual basis in those instances when special education programs are involved.
Parents and students may refuse release of any or all use of these materials related to specific students, provided that a written request is received by the Superintendent of Schools, at 268C Mammoth Rd., Londonderry, NH 03053, by September 30th of the current school year. Additionally, parents may opt to notify the district of any change during the school year.
To the Residents of the Londonderry School DistrictLast May questions were raised regarding the possibility of local farms and orchards contaminating soil and groundwater thru the use of chemical pesticides. In response to these concerns, the Londonderry School District has spent several months researching pesticide use & practices, evaluating pest control procedures by our own employees, and testing soils and groundwater on our properties.
The school district has 2 people on staff who are licensed to purchase and apply pesticides. Both have extensive backgrounds in outdoor facility maintenance. There are many different varieties of pesticides, and when talking about pest control, they can also include herbicides and fungicides. As required by state law, all purchases and applications of regulated materials are carefully documented and reported. Although we have more than 200 acres of grounds & fields, each year we typically use less than 10 gallons of regulated products, most of which is a commercial generic form of the weed control “Round-Up”.
When planning, building, and maintaining our fields, we are careful to use good quality products and best practices in our turf care and management. The combination of quality grass seed, proper fertilization, adequate watering, and regular aeration results in healthy grass with strong root systems that is much more resistant to damage from fungus or insects. This leads to a greatly reduced need for chemical applications.
The Londonderry School District contracted with GZA Geo-Environmental to perform soils testing on the fields at Moose Hill School, Matthew Thornton School, the Middle School and the High School, and groundwater testing of the 2 irrigation ponds at the High School. The samples were examined for detectable levels of pesticides and herbicides, and were compared to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) S-1 standards, which is the strictest guideline for reporting possible contamination. The results are interesting, but also show that there should not be any concerns about potential health risks.
The samples taken from the irrigation ponds do not have any detectable levels for any pesticides. This is a very positive sign, as the ponds are fed from a huge system of catch basins and underground pipes that collect ground water and runoff from areas all around the school facilities on Mammoth Road.
Testing on some of the soil samples did detect 4 different types of pesticides that were present in extremely low quantities. Three of them are breakdown products of DDT, and the fourth is a compound called Dieldron. Both are pesticides that were widely used in the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s, but have been banned and not produced since 1972. A form of Dieldron was approved for use as a treatment for termites until 1986. These products have a half life of approximately 10 years, which means that future testing will most likely still confirm their presence, but in even lower levels.
On average, the amount of these pesticides that were found in the soil samples were so low the levels would need to be multiplied by nearly 200 in order to reach minimum reportable levels. I have spoken with the project manager at GZA and a representative from NHDES, and both have assured me that the school properties are safe, and there is no need to take any additional actions.
Recently the school district allowed NHDES to build an air quality monitoring station on the SW corner of the Moose Hill School property. At our request, soil testing for pesticides was performed in the construction area, and the results mirrored our findings.
It is somewhat disappointing to learn that trace amounts of chemicals that have not been used in more than 35 years still exist in some areas. But it is good news knowing that industry regulations and improved practices are showing positive results in that no other types of pesticide contamination can be found.
It is a good thing to bring up questions that will lead to discussions and investigations of environmental issues. It is also good when these questions can be answered with positive results to confirm that a dangerous or unhealthy situation does not exist. I think that is the case with this issue. There were legitimate questions about the condition of some school grounds due to the use of pesticides by our own staff and by neighboring orchards, farms and greenhouses. After careful testing, research and analysis, the conclusion is that there is no cause for alarm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Chuck Zappala
Director of Buildings & Grounds
Londonderry School District
School Board Meeting DVDsThe High School track will undergo total reconstruction this summer, and this project will take several months to complete. Therefore, the track and the inner field area will be closed until the new surface has been installed and it has had appropriate time to cure.
When the track is ready to be re-opened, we will post a notice on the School District web page and on LEO 21. At this time, we expect the work to be completed in early to mid September.
Remember DVDs of school board meetings are available for check out at Leach Library. In general the DVDs are available for check out two days after a meeting.
Thank you,
Londonderry School District
Our Vision
The Londonderry School District will provide appropriate individualized academic, social, emotional and physical learning opportunities in order to establish a dynamic foundation for quality education and continued student growth.
Our Mission
To provide all students with the vision, skills, and knowledge necessary to maximize their individual potential. Central to this accomplishment is the collaboration among all shareholders and disciplines so that students can become contributing members of society and appreciate that learning is a life-long process.