MILWAUKEE — Dozens of concerned parents and community members gathered at Hephatha Lutheran Church in Milwaukee to discuss the ongoing lead contamination issues affecting Milwaukee Public Schools and neighborhoods.
The newly-assigned MPS Facilities Director Mike Turza addressed the crowd, outlining the district's remediation timeline.
"Our goal is that by the beginning of the new school year, all of those pre-1950 buildings are done," Turza said.
Turza added that the district aims to have an additional 52 buildings addressed by the end of the calendar year.
Watch: Concerned parents, community group to team up with MPS over lead concerns
MPS has spent nearly $1.8 million on remediation efforts so far. According to Turza, an exact final cost cannot yet be calculated because the severity of contamination varies at each school.
Funds for lead remediation will come from the MPS budget and not specific schools.
Schools with identified lead hazards include Trowbridge Street School of Great Lakes Studies, Golda Meir Lower Campus, Kagel, and Maryland Avenue Montessori.
Three schools—Fernwood Montessori School, LaFollette School and Starms Early Childhood Center—still remain closed due to lead hazards.
More Information: https://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/mps-officials-share-updates-on-lead-removal-efforts-at-3-district-schools
For parents like Domininck Tompkins, the lead crisis hits close to home.
"I had lead when I was a child and then when I got older and I started having children, I personally was told that my daughter had lead because of our house," Tompkins said.
She has two children in MPS.
Monday's town hall focused on finding solutions rather than placing blame, with community organizations stepping up to assist the district.
Shyquetta McElroy, Executive Director of the Coalition on Lead Emergency (COLE), emphasized the importance of community involvement. She noted that MPS only received 20% of consent forms back for testing of children. That's why her organization is calling on parents who know the impact of lead poisoning to help spread awareness and take action for their kids.
"The community plays an important role in making sure that we follow through with what MPS is going to do, I think it's very, very vital. And the fact that they know that we're working with MPS at COLE, and they can be a part of that work, is super important," McElroy said.
McElroy revealed that COLE is forming an agreement with the district to help parents at affected schools understand the importance of lead testing. They hope to have that signed by next week.
Tompkins, who will be one of 20 parents receiving training to help others, stressed the need for awareness.
"Parents should be more aware of the circumstances and be aware to go and get their kids tested, and if they don't know kind of like, reach out and ask more questions," Tompkins said.
This collaborative effort between the district and community organizations aims to mitigate the ongoing lead crisis affecting Milwaukee schools.
Training will take place at the beginning of May.
MPS will host a lead screening clinic for all MPS families from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 7 at North Division High School.
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