Milwaukee grappling with unsafe lead levels in schools, dismisses maintenance director, tries to placate parents

Tensions are escalating in Milwaukee as it addresses a lead crisis in its schools – including abrupt administrative departures, lawsuit considerations and mounting parental frustration.

“I think the district has a ways to go with transparency and earning back our trust with some commitments,” Casey, a parent, told local NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV during an April 10 virtual town hall meeting.

In response, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is working to address the community’s concerns and improve its communications, according to Fox 6 Milwaukee. 

“We have curated a list of frequently asked questions that is being shared with families and being posted on our website,” Superintendent Brenda Cassellius told the school board on Thursday. “We also heard repeated calls from families to increase our communications to them on the status of the work happening in their buildings, and we are committed to doing that.” 

Three schools – Fernwood Montessori School, LaFollette School and Starms Early Childhood Education Center – had been closed because of lead concerns since March 17. 

At Thursday’s meeting, Cassellius provided a timeline for reopening Fernwood soon. While remediation work is scheduled to end at Starms by the end of April, LaFollette may take up to five weeks before completion, she said. 

Lead program affected by federal layoffs 

The state’s public health department had been working for two months with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address lead exposure in schools, according to CNN. 

However, a preliminary wave of federal layoffs April 1 had affected the CDC lead poisoning prevention and surveillance program. 

As a result, the state’s request for EpiAid – a short-term loan of a federal officer from the Epidemic Intelligence Service – was denied. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, alluded April 3 to “some programs that were cut that are being reinstated, and I think that’s one of them” in response to media questions concerning school lead levels. 

“HHS is planning to continue the important work of the lead poisoning prevention and surveillance branch that works to eliminate childhood lead poisoning under the Administration for a Healthy America,” an HHS spokesperson said. 

In the meantime, the city “remains committed to moving this work forward and finding solutions locally,” said Caroline Reinwald, the health department’s marketing and communications officer. 

‘We recognize that there are issues’ 

The district also recently announced the removal of Sean Kane from his former role as senior director of facilities and maintenance, WISN 12 News reported. 

“I never want to see anybody lose their job or their role,” said Dr. Michael Totoraitis, the city’s commissioner of health, of the administrative departure. “However, I do think at this moment, it was warranted to help move us into this next step.” 

Kane had drawn criticisms over an expired architect license and failure to comply with lead-safe remediation practices. 

“Community advocates cited a March 19 Wisconsin Department of Health Services order that found his department’s noncompliance … ‘created a condition that is an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of the children and staff attending MPS schools,’” the television station explained. 

At least seven schools have been affected, with four students testing positive for lead poisoning, according to the station. 

“We recognize that there are issues, and we are actively working to address those issues, with keeping the health and, again, the well-being of kids at the forefront,” said the city’s mayor, Cavalier Johnson. 

Tracing lead poisoning back to schools 

Lead poisoning became a citywide concern in November when a sick child tested positive for an elevated level of lead in their blood, WISN 12 News explained. 

“Lead tastes sweet and is especially tempting to young children who are always putting their hands in their mouths and kids with developmental disabilities that make them susceptible to pica, the desire to eat things that aren’t normally considered food,” wrote Brenda Goodman for CNN. 

“Lead is toxic to the brain, and exposure to even low levels can lower a child’s IQ and contribute to problems with attention and behavior.” 

After negative lead tests from the family’s home and those of close relatives, the health department continued research into the child’s school, Goodman reported. 

“Tests of dust around the windowsills and on the floors at the child’s elementary school found lead levels far above federal safety thresholds. Investigators zeroed in on lead paint in a basement bathroom as the likely source of the child’s lead poisoning.” 

Further research revealed 100 out of 150 school buildings had been built before 1978 while lead in paint was still legal. The city had failed to maintain many of these buildings well, according to CNN. 

As a result, MPS discussed the option of a lawsuit against lead paint companies in closed session Thursday night. 

“As we seek resources to help with remediation efforts, we can’t leave any rock unturned,” Missy Zombor, a board member, previously told Fox 6 Milwaukee. “It’s incredibly unfair for taxpayers and school districts to have to foot the bill, when the lead paint industry knew that the lead paint was toxic at the time it was being promoted.” 

Other school districts fighting against elevated lead levels 

Milwaukee is not the only district struggling with community fallout after finding elevated lead levels in its school buildings. 

The Oakland Unified School District in California drew criticism last summer for waiting until August to release lead level data at its schools – although tests had occurred in late March and June. 

The testing revealed elevated levels of lead across multiple schools’ drinking faucets and fountains, with one water fountain having lead levels of 51 parts per billion (ppb), 10 times the district limit. 

“Despite our attention to detail and care for our sites, we did not communicate effectively to the members of each school community as the testing launched, as we received the results, and as fixes were being implemented,” the district admitted in a letter to families. 

However, the delay in communication had real-time consequences for children’s health, noted Stuard Loebl, a 6th grade teacher at Frick United Academy of Language. 

“Students have been drinking lead water this whole time – obviously before the report was released but since as well, which is infuriating,” he said. “We need a very comprehensive plan for testing going forward that does not just spot test.”