Maintenance & Operations
The Maintenance & Operations Department is committed to providing safe, clean, and well-maintained learning environments across all Halifax County Schools. Our team works diligently behind the scenes to ensure that school buildings, grounds, and facilities are fully operational and support student success.
Energy Management
Halifax County Schools has had an Energy Management Program in place since 2008. This program is designed to better manage energy consumption at each site level. The program strives to ensure that comfort and accountability are both addressed. Halifax County Schools has guidelines in place to assure comfort of scholars and staff while still being accountable for the conversation of energy, Halifax County Schools has achieved $2,364,164 in cost avoidance savings since 2008.
Asbestos Notification
ANNUAL ASBESTOS NOTIFICATION TO PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND EMPLOYEES
Halifax County Schools /420
(Pursuant to the AHERA Rule, 40 C.F.R. 763.84 (c), 763.93 (g) (4)
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, which has, until about 1980, been commonly used in building materials. Asbestos will not burn, is an excellent insulator, has great strength, is resistant to chemicals, and absorbs sound. Examples of asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM) are vinyl floor tile, sprayed-on acoustical ceiling material, and pipe insulation. As ACBM deteriorates over time, or are disturbed by maintenance, renovation, or demolition activities, asbestos fibers may be released into the air, Inhalation of these airborne, microscopic fibers has been proven to cause such deadly diseases as lung cancer, mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lungs), and asbestosis (scarring of lung tissues). Uncontrolled asbestos contamination in buildings has been, and remains, a significant environmental and public health issue. In 1986, Congress enacted the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) to require public and private, secondary and elementary schools to identify ACBM in their school buildings and take appropriate actions to control the release of asbestos fibers. In 1987, the US environmental protection Agency finalized a regulatory program, which enforces the AHERA mandate. These regulations are incorporated within the AHERA 40 C.F.R Part 763, Subpart E.
In compliance with the AHERA Rule, the Halifax County School/420 District had its school buildings inspected by an asbestos inspector accredited by the State of North Carolina. During that inspection, areas of suspect ACBM were noted. Samples were taken of some, or all, of the suspect ACBM. Laboratory analysis of these samples confirmed the presence or absence of ACBM. Suspect ACBM not sampled and analyze were assumed to contain asbestos. Confirmed and/or assumed ACBM currently remain in certain locations in our school buildings. Upon confirmation of the presence of ACBM, a Asbestos Management Plan was developed for each of the school building in Halifax County School District by an asbestos management planner accredited by the State of North Carolina. The Asbestos Management Plan includes a description of the measures currently being taken to ensure that the ACBM remaining in our school buildings are maintained in a condition that will not pose a threat to the health of our students and employees. The plan describes past response actions taken to abate ACВМ. Information is provided on the periodical monitoring of the condition of ACBM remaining in our school buildings through triennial re-inspections, )2009,20122015 etc.) which are conducted by accredited asbestos inspectors and through semiannual surveillance, conducted by trained school maintenance personnel.
The complete Asbestos Management plan is available for your review at the Maintenance Directors office during regular office hours. A copy of each schools plan is located with the principal at each location Mr. Tony Alston is the current designated Asbestos Program Coordinator for the Halifax School District. Please direct all inquiries regarding the Asbestos Management Plan to him at telephone number 252-583-2381 or Cell 252-678-4344.
Pest Management Notification
Annual Notification of Pest Management Program For School Year 2023-2024
Dear Parent, Guardian or Staff Member, This notice is being distributed to comply with the North Carolina School Children’s Health Act. Halifax County Schools has adopted an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy to comply with this law. IPM is a holistic, preventive approach to managing pests that minimizes pesticide use in our schools and on school grounds. IPM is explained further in the school’s Pest Management Policy #9205, available online at our web site.
The IPM Coordinator for Halifax County Schools is: Tony Alston, Director of School Operations, 252-583-2381
The IPM Coordinator and your on-site contact maintain the pesticide product label and the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of each pesticide product that may be used on school property. The label and the MSDS are available for review upon request by a parent, guardian, staff member or student attending the school. Also, the IPM Coordinator is available to help answer any questions you might have about the school system’s pest management program and pesticide use decisions.
Notification of Pesticide Use: Our school system may find it necessary to use pesticides to control pests at your school or other school system site. North Carolina state law gives you the right to be notified annually of our schools system’s pesticide application schedule, and 72 hours in advance of pesticide applications made outside that schedule, but the latter only if you request notification ahead of time using the enclosed form.
Exemptions: Certain relatively low-risk pesticides are exempted from these notification requirements, including antimicrobial cleansers, disinfectants, self-contained baits and crack-and-crevice treatments, and any pesticide products classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as belonging to the US EPA’s Toxicity Class IV, “relatively nontoxic”. Your right to be notified extends to all non-exempt pesticide applications at your school or other no-school site (office building, garage, workshop, etc.), both indoor and outdoor pesticide applications, and including applications that take place over summer recess, holidays, weekends or after school hours.
Emergency Pesticide Use: In the event that a non-exempt pesticide must be used for a pest control emergency at your school or other site and there is not adequate time to notify you more that 72 hours in advance and you have requested advance notice, you will receive a notice of emergency pesticide application less than 72 hours before or as soon as possible after the pesticide application.