AgriLife Extension offers school pest management trainings statewide

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a series of School Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Coordinator Trainings across the state from Feb. 12 through May 7. The events offer both new and current coordinators the opportunity to fulfill state-mandated training requirements.

The trainings, located in Edinburg, El Paso, Canyon, Del Valle and Dallas, will provide six Texas Department of Agriculture, TDA, continuing education credits and are required for all newly appointed school IPM coordinators.

Beginning this year, publicly funded charter schools must also comply with these requirements, prompting expanded training opportunities throughout the year, said Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension senior program specialist, School Integrated Pest Management, Texas A&M Department of Entomology, Dallas.

Statewide 2026 training locations and dates

All events start with check-ins from 8:15-8:30 a.m. and end at 4:45 p.m. Individual events, including agendas, are listed on AgriLife Register, where participants are required to sign up.

• Edinburg — Feb. 12
  AgriLife Extension office for Hidalgo County
  410 N. 13th Ave., Edinburg.
• El Paso — March 26
  Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center
  1380 A&M Circle, El Paso.
• Canyon/Amarillo — March 30
  Texas A&M AgriLife High Plains Research and Extension Center
  3211 Russell Long Blvd., Canyon.
• Del Valle — April 22–23
  Del Valle ISD Operations Building
  4801 Ross Road, Del Valle.
• Dallas — May 6–7
  Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center
  17360 Coit Road, Dallas.

Registration and costs

• $160 — One-day required training
• $260 — Two-day workshop

All registrations include a spiral-bound training manual and continuing education unit credits for participants with TDA Agricultural or Structural Pest Control Service licenses.

Training requirements and course structure

Since 1995, all Texas independent school districts have been required to appoint a responsible IPM coordinator. Beginning Sept. 1, all publicly funded charter schools must also meet the same state requirements.

AgriLife Extension’s statewide series will include:

• Day 1: School IPM Coordinator Training – six hours
  • Fulfills requirements for all new IPM coordinators.
  • Counts as refresher training for current coordinators.
  • Recommended for pest management professionals working with schools, as well as agricultural science teachers and school garden program leaders.
• Day 2 is in Dallas and Del Valle only: Advanced training
  • Includes in-depth instruction on treatments, rules and implementation beyond the basic requirements.
  • Designed for coordinators seeking a deeper operational understanding of school IPM compliance

Growing demand for training

Expanding requirements and updated IPM content are expected to increase statewide training demand in 2026. With five sessions scheduled between February and May and additional sessions planned for the fall, Hurley said AgriLife Extension aims to support districts and charter schools in meeting compliance deadlines.

For more information, contact Hurley at janet.hurley@ag.tamu.edu.