Lead in Milwaukee Public Schools Has Parents Concerned and Children Displaced

Lead in Milwaukee Public Schools has left children exposed to the harmful neurological agent. It wasn’t until children began falling sick that the schools began taking a closer look at their buildings.

Here’s what we know about the lead in Milwaukee Public School situation and what to do if your child was exposed.

Children Sick from Lead in Milwaukee Public Schools

The problem was discovered in November when a child fell ill and was diagnosed with lead poisoning. Four other Milwaukee Public School students have also tested positive for lead poisoning in recent months. This prompted the local health department to search for the source.

What they found was unfathomable.

The child was exposed at a place that they should be the safest.

At school.

At least seven schools failed lead evaluations. Three schools remain temporarily closed for lead remediation efforts.

The City of Milwaukee Health Department Launches Investigation

In a public statement on the ongoing hazardous levels of lead contamination in multiple Milwaukee Public School buildings, the City of Milwaukee Health Department explains the situation and provides a webpage to update parents and interested parties.

“These findings, uncovered through separate case investigations by our Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP), in consultation with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), confirm lead hazards inside MPS buildings that exceed safety standards. As the city’s public health authority, MHD is committed to providing timely updates and working toward long-term solutions to reduce lead exposure risks in school buildings.

In a letter to the system’s Interim Superintendent and School Board, City of Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner Michael Totoraitis, PhD outlines locations of numerous positive results for lead in Milwaukee Public Schools buildings.

Totoraitis stresses that, “failure to act quickly and effectively will place children at serious risk of lead poisoning, developmental delays, and other possible health complications.”

Numerous Positive Results for Lead in Milwaukee Public Schools Buildings

Results of lead dust wipe testing revealed “widespread high lead dust wipe levels exceeding DHS 163.15 standards for lead dust hazards on floors and sills that must be immediately addressed.”

As you read through these lead dust levels, keep in mind that the safety threshold is set at 10 µg/ft² for floors and 100 µg/ft² on windowsills.

Golda Meir School

Multiple areas exceeded safety standards, indicating widespread lead hazards throughout the school.

Floors had a mean lead dust level of 67.5 µg/ft², windowsills measured at 1,417.9 µg/ft², and bathrooms tested at 200 µg/ft². Other high-risk areas such as storage rooms, special needs classrooms, and teachers’ lounges were identified, as lead dust can transfer to other areas of the school through routine contact.

Kagel Elementary School

This school’s visual inspection found the presence of deteriorated lead paint and lead dust wipe levels exceeded safety thresholds.

First floor windowsills measured at 1,600 µg/ft², storage room floor was 340 µg/ft², and water samples were tested. But results for that are not yet available.

Milwaukee Chinese Immersion School

The Milwaukee Chinese Immersion School passed visual inspection. Lead wipe sampling was not performed, as most of the building was constructed after 1978 when lead paint was banned. Other extensive renovations in pre-1978 areas have been recorded.

Maryland Avenue Montessori

A visual inspection showed a strong potential presence of deteriorated lead paint. Though dust wipe sample results are not yet available for this school.

City of Milwaukee Department of Health Issues Requirements in Response to Lead in Milwaukee Public Schools

The Milwaukee Department of Health has ordered certain immediate steps to prevent the continued exposure of harmful lead levels.

These include:

• Revising and strengthening the school’s Lead Management Plan. The district must consult with the Department of Health Services and Milwaukee Health Department to ensure it is in compliance.
• Having a clear, phased timeline for immediate lead remediation and long-term strategies. Higher risk facilities should be prioritized based on factors such as the year of construction, if the school is regularly attended by children under six years old, and whether a child has been reported with elevated blood lead levels at that school, and those in poor condition.
• Identify State Certified Lead Abatement Company to perform and certify lead abatement activities.
• Ensure lead abatement and prevention activities are performed and maintained.

Lead Toxicity is Especially Dangerous in Children

Lead toxicity can cause serious, long-term conditions in children that can go on to affect them throughout their life. Sadly, immediate symptoms are often mild and go unnoticed, until long-term effects are observed. This is why prevention is most important in children.

Symptoms of Lead Toxicity

Symptoms of lead toxicity vary from person to person as well as other factors such length of exposure. Short term exposure often results in symptoms involving acute symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain/colic, vomiting, and/or anemia.

Longer-term exposure presents more systemic symptoms, including:

• Irritability
• Lethargy
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning
• Occasional abdominal discomfort
• Constipation
• Difficulty concentration/Muscular exhaustibility
• Headache
• Tremor
• Weight loss

It is difficult for young children to articulate many of these symptoms, so often this type of illness goes underdiagnosed unless extreme symptoms are observed, or the child is screened for blood lead toxicity.

Lead toxicity can also lead to learning disabilities and behavioral problems.

Milwaukee Department of Health Announced FREE Lead Screening Clinics

According to the Milwaukee Department of Health, community partners have come together to provide FREE lead screenings for children between the ages of nine months and 10 years. The announcement indicates that no insurance is required.

So far, available FREE lead screening clinics include:

• Children’s Wisconsin Next Door Clinic, 2561 N 29^th, Milwaukee, WI 53210
  • Every Tuesday and Thursday 1pm to 4pm through the end of the school year
  • Walk-in, no appointment needed
• MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary, 2461 W Center St., Milwaukee, WI 53206
  • FREE lead testing for kids under 10 years old
  • Every 2^nd and 4^th Saturday of the month
  • Contact Katie Doss at 414-404-0600 (Ext. 5) for more information
• Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers – Community Outreach Program
  • Specific information will be available for this site soon. Call 414-897-5594 for more information

Even if your child is not experiencing symptoms, you should still get them tested. If they do begin to show signs of lead toxicity, the record will be extremely important.

Does Your Child Have Lead Toxicity?

Lead toxicity is serious, particularly in small children. The FDA advises caregivers to talk to their child’s healthcare provider about getting a blood lead test if you suspect your child might have lead toxicity.

Reach out to a lead poisoning lawyer if you have questions about lead in Milwaukee Public Schools and what to do if your child was exposed. The experienced lawyers at The Lange Law Firm can help determine if you have a case and how to navigate this scary situation. As a caregiver, you may feel powerless when it comes to this situation, a child becoming sick from being somewhere that should have been safe. A lead poisoning lawyer can help. Reach out for a free consultation at (833) 330-3663 or click here to email.

By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)