MPS lead crisis; board meeting Thursday, will consider pair of resolutions
MPS lead crisis; board meeting Thursday
The Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors will meet on Thursday night, April 17 to consider a pair of resolutions focused on the district's lead crisis.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors will meet on Thursday night, April 17 to consider a pair of resolutions focused on the district's lead crisis.
Three Milwaukee Public Schools sites remain closed due to lead exposures.
Possible lawsuit
What we know:
The first resolution directs MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius and her staff to work with the Milwaukee city attorney's office on a possible lawsuit.
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Several California cities and counties won $305 million in 2019 after suing lead paint companies. The complaint argued those companies violated the state's "public nuisance law" by advertising lead paint products as "safe." There's just one issue: the parties settled that lawsuit nearly 20 years after it was originally filed.
MPS lead crisis; CDC denies Milwaukee's request for help due to layoffs
The Milwaukee Health Department invited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Centers for Disease Control to help with its lead investigations. But now, those experts aren't coming.
More transparency
What we know:
Additionally, the board is working on making its response to the crisis more transparent and accountable.
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Kristen Payne founded the parent group Lead Safe Schools MKE. She said she is encouraged the school board could soon make its lead clean-up work more transparent in a dashboard available to the public.
The MPS lead remediation dashboard depends on the district finishing its "Lead Action Plan" in conjunction with the Milwaukee Health Department.
MPS lead crisis; parents address concerns in virtual town hall
Milwaukee Public Schools hosted a virtual town hall on Thursday, April 10, to discuss lead concerns.
The next steps
What's next:
The two items go before the full board at a meeting on Thursday, April 17.
The Source: The Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Directors and Lead Safe Schools MKE provided information.