Patterson Joint Unified School District officials apologized to parents for the pesticide drift incident that occurred at one of its elementary schools in March. It made a commitment to reduce its use of chemicals.
“It’s an event that should not have happened, and as a result, it’s caused us to take a look at and review and reflect on our practices,” Dave Smith, director of administrative service at PJUSD, said at a public meeting Monday.
On March 13, around 10 a.m., district management learned that an employee was spraying herbicides at Apricot Valley Elementary. An hour later, students and staff began experiencing itchy skin and rashes, prompting a call to emergency services…