Three MPS Schools Remain Closed Because of Lead Contamination
Health department working with district on long-term plan, but work drags on at three closed schools.
Three schools in Milwaukee remain temporarily closed two weeks after “significant lead hazards” were found inside the buildings.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Health Department is still revising a “Lead Action Plan” from Milwaukee Public Schools. The plan will outline how the district will inspect other school properties for lead and clean those found to have hazards.
During a Friday press conference, Tyler Weber, the Milwaukee Health Department’s deputy commissioner for environmental health, did not give a timeline on when the schools might reopen.
“We want to get these kids back into a safe environment for the wellness of the children and parents,” Weber said.
“Renovation work is happening and they’re (schools) not ready to be opened,” he added. MPS, not MHD, manages the remediation work.
The closures come as four other Milwaukee Public Schools have been recently investigated for high levels of lead. One of those schools, Trowbridge School of Great Lakes Studies, was shut down by the Milwaukee Health Department in late February due to “unsafe lead dust levels.” It reopened two weeks ago.
Children younger than age 6 are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning, according to Mayo Clinic. Lead poisoning can affect children’s mental and physical development.
MPS ‘Lead Action Plan’ being revised
A March 27 health department progress update letter sent to families and staff of the district said MPS submitted a “Lead Action Plan” to the department before its March 21 deadline. Weber said the department has a draft of the plan.
“We’re working on some feedback,” Weber said. “It’s a back-and-forth right now. We’re confident we’ll have a collaborative plan put forth that will also be made public.”
“We’re going to need to work at a more faster, urgent pace than is happening now,” Weber said.
Last week the state Department of Health Services notified the district that state inspectors found children were allowed to return to classrooms at Fernwood Montessori School that were still contaminated with lead even after cleanup work. The letter said MPS must notify the state and city health departments whenever lead renovation work is being done.
The state letter also said 11 district employees who had been performing lead remediation work may not have been trained to do so.
“Records do not indicate if they were trained by a certified lead safe renovator or what they were trained on,” the letter stated.
Weber said the letter was “disappointing.”
“It gives us a benchmark to work from now to get more MPS staff trained as lead safe renovators, and make sure that skill set is kept up,” Weber said.
There are 85 schools in the district built before 1978, when lead-based paint was banned. Lead dust is often formed as lead paint chips and wears down, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We want to get into a place where MPS is again proficient at identifying lead hazards, at getting ahead of it, of taking care of their buildings,” Weber said Friday.
Schools still being cleaned
The progress update letter to families and staff shed more light on the work being done at the closed schools.
Fernwood Montessori is a kindergarten through eighth grade school in the southeast corner of the city.
- “Wall repairs and stabilization are nearly complete,” the letter said about that school. “Once painting is complete, the entire building will undergo deep cleaning. MHD (Milwaukee Health Department) will reinspect the building before any reopening decision is made.”
LaFollette School is a kindergarten through eighth grade school on the city’s north side.
- “Staff are preparing the building for remediation, and paint stabilization is expected to begin next week,” the letter said about LaFollette School.
Starms Early Childhood is a kindergarten through third grade school on the city’s north side.
- “Work is underway, with staff preparing the building and painting now occurring in areas not requiring major preparation,” the letter said about Starms Early Childhood.
Some parents in the district have started a website and petition in response to the issue, asking for more transparency from the district.
“I do think speed is important, but not at the expense of doing the job the correct way,” Kristen Payne, one of the organizers of that effort, said about the schools reopening.
Two closed schools are polling places
Two of the closed schools — Fernwood Montessori and LaFollette School— are polling locations for Milwaukee residents. Both sites will be open during the April 1 spring primary election.
“The City of Milwaukee Election Commission is working in close coordination with MHD and MPS to ensure safe voting conditions,” the letter to families said.
“All remediation and cleaning work will be paused on Election Day, and MHD-approved precautionary measures will be in place to protect voters and election workers,” the letter said.
3 MPS schools still temporarily closed while lead remediation work is underway was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

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More about the Lead Crisis
- Three MPS Schools Remain Closed Because of Lead Contamination - Evan Casey - Mar 29th, 2025
- MPS Submits Draft Lead Action Plan to Milwaukee Health Department - Milwaukee Public Schools - Mar 21st, 2025
- City Hall: Milwaukee Sees 250% Surge in Lead Lateral Replacements, But It Needs More - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 20th, 2025
- City of Milwaukee Health Department and MPS Provide Updates on Lead Safety Efforts - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Mar 19th, 2025
- MPS Closing Three More Schools Due To Lead Hazards - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 13th, 2025
- MPS Will Reopen School Shuttered Because of Lead Dust - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 12th, 2025
- Trowbridge Street School Won’t Reopen Monday, to Allow More Time for Deep Cleaning of Lead Dust - Milwaukee Public Schools - Mar 7th, 2025
- Health Department Will Investigate 10 More Schools For Lead Issues - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 7th, 2025
- MKE County: County Expands Lead Abatement For Low-Income Homes - Graham Kilmer - Mar 1st, 2025
- Health Department Shutters MPS School Over Lead Concerns - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 28th, 2025
Read more about Lead Crisis here