CASH Maintenance Network: New Healthy Schools Resource

Healthy Schools: Cleaning, Disinfecting, Healthy Air Quality, Scheduling and Social Distancing
A Resource for School Facility and Maintenance Departments

COVID-19 has presented significant challenges as education and state leaders contemplate re-opening schools in a way that ensures they are clean, safe and healthy. The CASH Maintenance Network (CMN), as part of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH), has developed the Healthy Schools: Cleaning, Disinfecting, Healthy Air Quality, Scheduling and Social Distancing Guidebook to provide K-12 school maintenance and facility departments with guidance, Best Management Practices (BMPs), and key resources.

The “Healthy Schools Guidebook” includes information on how to keep students and staff safe, cleaning and disinfecting, ensuring healthy indoor air quality, social distancing and scheduling, and managing fiscal impact. The Guidebook was developed by practitioners from school maintenance departments, school facility directors, county offices of education, and private industry, and is intended as a practical guide. The CMN would like to thank them for their contributions to this project.

CEC Considers Deadline Extension

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has agreed to consider extending the June 30, 2020 deadline for completion of all Proposition 39-funded energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at the May 13, 2020 business meeting in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CEC proposes to extend the following:

Final project completion date by one year to June 30, 2021
Final project completion reports date by one year to June 30, 2022

Courtesy of CASH Maintenance Network

Healthy Schools Act (HSA):

Use of Disinfectant Wipes, Hand Sanitizers and Antibacterial Soap

The spread of COVID-19 is significantly affecting all of us, including the K-12 education community in California.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the State of California, and the State Department of Education (CDE) are all good resources for timely and empirical information about COVID-19 and K-12 schools.

From a more practical standpoint concerning school facilities and maintenance, there have been questions about the use of disinfecting wipes/spray and hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps under the Health Schools Act (HSA), which has been administered by the Department  of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) since 2000; specifically, is HSA training required use the sanitizers outlined above?  As of today, the HSA specifies the following:

• Requires HSA Training: Disinfecting Wipes
• Does Not Require HSA Training: Hand Sanitizers and Antibacterial Soap

HSA training can be done online on the DPR website free of charge, a change to the HSA that the CASH Maintenance Network recommended to ensure that the training does not require leaving your school site.  For your reference on this issue, click here for information from the DPR on using hand sanitizers, click here for using disinfectants at schools and childcare facilities, and click here for an overview of the Healthy Schools Act (which includes how you can register for training).

We are in contact with the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and the Department of Education (CDE), and will let you know of any changes that may affect this guidance.  The following is a link to the CDE website which is an excellent resource on issues related to COVID-19 in a K-12 school environment:

https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/coronavirus.asp

–Ian Padilla

Approximately 915,000 votes have been cast with 375,750 votes cast by Republicans; 349,930 votes cast by Democrats; and 189,811 votes cast by Independents.

The Secretary of State’s website holds a wealth of information on the new and expanded voter laws.

Visit https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/election-2020/

The newest: You can now register to vote on the same day.  While the ballots will be counted, they will first go through the complete voter registration verification process.

Please encourage your friends and family to VOTE!

Another reminder: Proposition 13 Ensures Local Control for School Facility Funding

Proposition 13 on the March 3, 2020 Statewide Primary ballot asks voters to approve a new $15 billion state bond for school facilities.

This measure DOES NOT affect property tax limits established by Proposition 13 from 1978, nor does it raise local property taxes or state taxes.

Confused About State School Bond Proposition 13 and Property Taxes?

This is a clarification on the relationship between the State School Bond, which is Proposition 13 on the March 3, 2020 Statewide Primary Election ballot, and the old Proposition 13 approved by voters in 1978 regarding property tax limits.

Proposition 13 – the State School Bond on the March ballot – is separate and distinct from the 1978 property tax measure.  Debt service on state general obligation bonds is paid by the state General Fund.  This Proposition 13, like prior state school bonds, will not raise local property taxes or state taxes.

This school bond measure was assigned the number “13” by the Secretary of State using number sequencing requirements, not because of any connection to property tax effects.