Pesticide Use in Schools (2025)

Ohio has legal requirements under Ohio Administrative Code Rule 901:5-11-15 that govern the application of pesticides inside K–12 school classroom buildings. Pesticide applicators are required to follow all federal and state pesticide laws, but this factsheet focuses on Rule 15. The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is the enforcement agency for all pesticide laws and regulations.

Rule 15 is intended to reduce the risk of exposing children and staff to pesticides. Only structural pest applications are covered under these rules. Structural pests are defined as pests of the inhabitants of the structure. Examples of structural pests are wasps, roaches, and rodents. While applications to control pests are typically made inside the structure, sometimes pesticides are applied to the exterior to nuisance pests, or to prevent pest entry and this type of exterior application is covered under the rules. However, the rules do not apply to exterior applications that target lawn and landscape pests.

The regulations require establishment of a prior-notification policy and designation of a school contact person, and they define three types of pesticide application situations with associated restrictions. These rules apply regardless of whether the pesticide is applied by a licensed school employee or a contracted company.

Is a school employee or a pest control company using any of the following inside or near a classroom school building?

• hornet and wasp spray

• ant or roach spray

• rodent, roach, or ant bait

• insecticide around exterior of building to prevent pest entry

If so, you must comply with the state rules regarding pesticide use in schools.

Three Situations for Pesticide Applications

The rule defines three pesticide-application situations. These situations are based on the time of the application, the type of products used, and the proximity of children and school personnel during the application. The situations are:

1. Applications of Pesticides During School Hours

Restricted entry and posting are required for pesticide applications during school hours unless it is an application with lower-exposure potential as described in the next section. No children or staff (other than the pesticide applicator or necessary staff) may enter the treatment area during the application and for at least four hours after the treatment—longer if the pesticide label requires it.

The entrance to the treatment area must be posted with:

• A sign that measures at least 8¹/₂ by 11 inches
• The text below must be printed in at least 1-inch letters:

"Pesticide Treatment Area. Do Not Enter Before (date and time when re-entry will be permitted)"

The restrictions on the pesticide label may be greater or less than Ohio's pesticide use in schools regulations. You must always follow the most restrictive of the two. The restrictions in the two bullets below are from a pressurized-insecticide label. If this product were used during school hours, the more restrictive Ohio school rules would apply and it would be necessary to post the application site and keep others out of the treated area for four hours. Additionally, you must follow the label restriction and ventilate the treated area before allowing access.

• Do not allow adults, children, or pets to enter until vapors, mists, and/or aerosols have dispersed and the treated area has been thoroughly ventilated. Do not contact treated areas until dry.

• When used in schools, do not apply to classrooms when in use. Allow treated areas to dry thoroughly before reoccupying.

2. Applications During School Hours With Lower Exposure Potential

Certain pesticide product applications have a lower potential risk of exposure because of the nature of the product formulation or the manner of application. These products may be applied during school hours with no posting or restricted entry requirements, including:

• manufactured paste or gel bait
• paraffin-based rodent control products placed in industry-identified, tamper-resistant bait stations
• termite-baiting stations
• rodenticides that are placed in wall voids or other areas that are inaccessible to humans and pets
• dusts in unoccupied areas of the building
• disinfectants, sanitizers, germicides, and antimicrobial agents

3. Applications During Off-School Hours

Applications made during off-hours or on a day when school is not in session have no posting, restricted entry, or product requirements other than what is required by the pesticide label. An application that is made prior to the school day must be completed at least four hours before the school opens to staff and/or students (unless a longer restricted entry interval is required by the label).

Prior Notification Policy

The school district must develop a policy to provide prior notification of pesticide applications to anyone who requests it, including parents or guardians of minor children, adult students, faculty, and staff. The school can determine the method of prior notification, such as e-mail or list-serves. Records must be kept that document that requested notifications were made according to the policy developed by the individual school district.

Contact Person and Recordkeeping for Notification

A school employee must be designated as a contact person for pesticide applications. The school contact person must maintain the pesticide-application information required for notification and the documentation that prior notifications were sent to the persons who had requested them. Outside service companies must supply this pesticide-application information to the school contact person. The information must be available for inspection during normal school hours. Disinfectants, sanitizers, germicides, and antimicrobial agents are exempt from notification and recordkeeping requirements.

The school must maintain the information for one year. The pesticide application information that must be kept by the school contact person includes the following:

• date and time of the pesticide application
• treatment area
• target pests
• pesticide brand name(s) and EPA registration number(s)
• time or conditions for reentering the treatment area as specified by the pesticide label(s), if any is specified

There is no specified format for the records; they may be maintained digitally or as hard-copies.

Commercial License Requirement

Ohio law requires any person making structural applications of pesticides in/around a school building to be licensed in category 10a or to be a trained serviceperson working under the direct supervision of a licensed applicator. A commercial license is also required to make pesticide applications on school grounds to control pests of turf or landscape, but the rules described in this fact sheet do not apply to lawn and landscape applications. For information about how to obtain a license, see the fact sheet
Ohio Commercial Pesticide Applicator Requirements: Who Needs a License and What Steps to Take.

Other Types of Applications around Schools

The pesticide use in school rules do not cover applications to control weeds or other pests that attack lawns, landscapes, and sports fields around schools. However, all lawncare applications have notification requirements under Ohio law:

• Lawn Sign Guidance
• OAC 901:5-11-09

Ohio Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Regulations

Ohio Pesticide Law does not require schools to implement integrated pest management (IPM) programs, but pest management companies that offer IPM are required by Ohio law to follow a specific protocol as set forth by the IPM regulations. Read the regulations here:
codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-901:5-11-14

Additional Resources

Learn more about pesticide use in schools:

• Ohio pesticide use in schools rule OAC 901:5-11-15
• Ohio pesticide regulations OAC 901:5-11
• Ohio Commercial Pesticide Applicator Study Guides

Contact Information

Pesticide Safety Education Program
Ohio State University Extension
614-292-4070
pested.osu.edu

Ohio Department of Agriculture
Pesticide & Fertilizer Regulation Section
614-728-6987
agri.ohio.gov