Green Cleaning Program in Schools

The State of Connecticut is requiring that each local and regional board of education implement a green cleaning program for all school buildings and facilities in its district.

The Newtown Board of Education is committed to the implementation of this law by providing the staff and, upon request, the parents and guardians of each child enrolled in each school with a written statement of the school district’s green cleaning program as well as making it available on its web site annually. The policy will also be distributed to new staff hired during the school year and to parents or guardians of students transferring in during the school year.

• Green cleaning program means the procurement and proper use of environmentally preferable cleaning products as defined by the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) for all state owned buildings, schools and facilities. DAS currently requires that environmentally preferable cleaning products be independently certified by one of two third party certified organizations: Green Seal or Eco Logo

• By July 1, 2011 and thereafter no person shall use a cleaning product in a public school unless it meets the DAS standard.

• The types of cleaning products covered in this legislation include: general purpose, bathroom, and glass cleaners, floor strippers and finishes, hand cleaners and soaps. The preferred green cleaning products used by this school district are listed on attachment “A”

• Disinfectants, disinfectant cleaners, sanitizers or antimicrobial products regulated by the federal insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide act are not covered by this law.

The following statement will be part of this school districts program as stated in the new law;

"No Parent, Guardian, Teacher or Staff member may bring into the school facility any consumer product which is intended to clean, deodorize, sanitize or disinfect"

The implementation of this program requires the support and cooperation of everyone including administrators, faculty, staff, parents, guardians and facilities staff.

Any questions concerning the program can be directed to:

John Barlow, Director of Facilities,

Newtown Public Schools

3 Primrose Street, Newtown, CT 06470,

Phone: 203-426-7615

Green Product Listing

Attachment A

This chart lists the types, names and manufacturers of the green products used by this school districtas well as the location/area of application and the schedule of when each is used.