Brief school closures considered amid MPS lead exposure concerns

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Temporary school closures are not off the table as Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee Health Department work to address ongoing concerns of lead exposure in school buildings.

On Friday, during a Public Health and Safety Committee meeting, MPS and health department officials took questions from Milwaukee Common Council Members about lead exposure. MPS officials were asked about building maintenance schedules and staffing as council members pressed to learn more about how the issue grew to the current level of concern.

MPS officials pointed to budget cuts and staffing shortages as factors that may have impacted the district's ability to monitor lead exposure.
Out of more than 150 MPS school buildings, about 80 of them are at risk of lead exposure because they were built before 1978.
Health department officials are focused on exposure testing and risk assessments for multiple schools right now. Health officials say a timeline for testing clinics available to families will be released in the coming weeks.

Testing could involve potentially shutting down some schools, but it's too soon to know specifics on that.

"These are very difficult decisions to make, and we're prepared to make that decision but again we have to follow the data," said Michael Totoraitis, Milwaukee's health commissioner.

During the public safety meeting, Alderwoman Milele Coggs shared concerns about the need for better communication with MPS families as updates roll in. Both the health department and MPS officials say they are committed to keeping MPS families in the loop on updates. "As soon as we had actionable results we would respond quickly," Totoraitis said. The health department is hoping for a large turnout for lead testing clinics.

Right now, the health department is focused on addressing four schools:

• Golda Meir Lower Campus
• Albert E. Kagel Dual Language School
• Throwbridge Street School
• Maryland Avenue Montessori

Lab testing capacity and staffing are all factors in the timeline for getting through these schools and adding more to the priority list, but the health department is focusing its resources to get a timeline put together.

For official updates on risk assessment reports and more, MPS families and staff can click here.