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Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
San Benito County Grand Jury
• 2015-2016
Gophers at School in Hollister School District
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 6 findings
F1
Page 50
Mounds and holes made by typical gopher activity presents a hazard of injury to HSD children playing and taking PE classes on school recreational fields.
F2
Page 50
HSD has an ongoing problem controlling the prevalence of the number of pocket gophers living in recreational fields and/or the number of holes made by gophers in those fields daily.
F3
Page 50
Weekends are not enough to address gopher prevalence. It is too little time spent and some of that time may be compromised by weekend athletics.
F4
Page 50
The number of injuries to children from gopher damage is underreported to the schools.
F5
Page 50
Follow up regarding the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of current measures in place for gopher abatement/control is not being tracked.
F6
Page 50
Long term plans to abate gophers from school fields and prevent persistent mounds in newer fields is needed.
Recommendations 6
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R1Page 50F1, F2, F3, Address the numerous gopher mounds in HSD fields on a daily prevention basis as well as a weekly basis.
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R2Page 50F1, F2, F3, Reduce/eliminate the hazardous mounds and holes made by the gophers.
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R3Page 50F4, F5 Educate HSD children and staff to recognize the gopher mounds, report the mound, and report all tripping and falling over the mounds or into the holes to a designated staff member.
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R4Page 50F5, HSD facilities management should place its own tracking system on a sample of mounds and holes on a regular basis to track how quickly and effectively GPC and the bait works to resolve the gopher issue.
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R5Page 50F6, HSD should determine and report the cost of placing wire mesh on all existing recreational fields. Compare this cost to the contract of contracting GPC over a 10-year period. R6. F6, Follow the Master Plan layout of funds for the school site improvements.
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R7Page 50F6, All new school fields built should include wire mesh in the cost of construction. RESPONSE REQUIRED The California Penal Code subsection (933) requires that a response to the findings and recommendations made in this final report be delivered to the Presiding Judge of the San Benito County Superior Court. Board of Directors, Hollister School District (response required ) •