Statement from Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez on Lead Hazards in MPS Buildings

MILWAUKEE – In response to the announcement that Westside Academy and Brown Street Academy will close due to lead hazards, Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez released the following statement:

“We have failed our children by allowing lead hazards to remain in our schools for so long. That failure rests with decades of disinvestment and neglect—not with our students, families, or teachers.

“What matters now is what we do next. I fully support Superintendent Cassellius, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, and the Milwaukee Health Department in their efforts to urgently identify, remediate, and eliminate lead exposure in our schools. I commend their plan to address every building constructed before 1978.

“As a former MPS student, I know about the dangers of money for our schools not being properly disbursed towards the most important matters – I am committed to working across systems to ensure every Milwaukee County child has the opportunity to be safe and healthy.”

The Supervisor encourages all families to seek information on free lead testing clinics and to advocate for sustained investments in safe, lead-free public infrastructure.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.