MILWAUKEE– Milwaukee Public Schools is preparing for it’s summer phase of lead clean up just as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services fines the district for improper cleaning methods.
DHS is fining the district $5,500 citing paint chips and construction debris that were found in classrooms and hallways that had already finished their cleaning.
Photographs show areas that were not entirely cleaned up during lead remediation for Starms Early Childhood Center, LaFollette Elementary School, Fernwood Montessori and Brown Street Academy.
Instead of paying the fine to the State Treasurer-School Fund, DHS would like the district to reinvest the money into the lead-safe renovations and clean up.
MPS Facilities director Mike Turza announced on Tuesday night that the district would be moving forward with it’s second phase of lead clean-ups by announcing that 14 new schools were being prepared for lead dust clean up in the coming days.
Turza also promised to the district board of directors that the MPS facilities staff would be fully trained on lead removal strategies.
“By September 2025, we’re going to have all of our custodial and facilities staff trained on lead dust cleaning protocols,” said Turza. “We already have the standard operating procedures in place and we will continue to do training for these staff members during parts of the summer.”
The following schools being prepared include:
-ALBA
-Auer Ave.
-Forest Home
-French Immersion
-Hartford
-Hayes
-Humboldt Park
-Longfellow
-MacDowell
-Mitchell
-Riley
-Siefert
-Townsend
-Vieau
Turza says that the clean up process for each school will take approximately 40 days.
During those days, external contractors will take days at a time to move school equipment, pre-clean areas impacted by lead dust while stabilizing and painting impacted areas.
After the MPS finishes cleaning those 14 schools, the district will start to look at 31 additional schools for any kind traces that include lead dust.
Milwaukee Public Schools has said in previous instances that it plans to have all schools built pre-1950 completed by the end of this summer and to have all 52 school built post-1950 to be cleaned and remediated by the end of the calendar year.
