Albany NY School System: Only Permitting Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitizer

By JENNIFER GISH, Staff writer
Last updated: 8:59 p.m., Wednesday, September 9, 2009

"One of the things I've added to my chat with students are some really common-sense recommendations for stopping the flu," says Luke Rakoczy, principal of Van Antwerp Middle School in the Niskayuna Central School District. "We've just been putting in place really common-sense recommendations to kids, and one is the spread of virus through your hands, and the importance of washing your hands."

Rakoczy notes that hand sanitizer stations throughout the building were put in place a couple of years ago in response to concerns about the spread of the MRSA infection in area schools.

South Colonie doesn't allow students to bring in their own sanitizer because all chemical-based products used in the district are to be tracked on a "Material Safety Data Sheet." That way, if a student or staff member develops an allergic reaction, the district has a list of what substances are used in its facilities.

Instead, the district supplies one type of sanitizer -- an alcohol-free, fragrance-free product -- to its staff and students, Noetzel says."