Trowbridge Elementary to temporarily shut down starting Monday due to lead concerns

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee’s Trowbridge School will temporarily shut down after testing positive for high levels of lead after being cleaned, once.

It’s the first time in its history that Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) has had to shut down a school because of ongoing lead concerns. This is also the fourth Milwaukee public school to go through lead cleaning since the new year.

“Obviously, the choice to do a closure for the school is a departure from where we’ve been so far during this process,” said Commissioner Mike Totoraitis with the Milwaukee Health Department. 

In November, an MPS student at Golda Meir showed high levels of lead in their blood. The health department says after testing the student’s home, they then began testing the school. Two other cases also arose at Kagel and Maryland Montessori. All three schools, in addition to Trowbridge, tested positive for lead.

Cleaning has been underway at all of the schools, but Trowbridge is the only one to shut down.

During the cleaning process, a staff member was seen scraping lead paint without proper safety measures. When the Trowbridge was retested, results showed the repainted surface still had high levels of lead.

“Our staff did observe some unsafe lead work happening,” said Totoraitis. “There was actually lead hazard dust on top of those made safe spaces.”

That's why MPS and the health department are closing the school down temporarily for a more intensive cleaning process that will start this weekend.

“Our team will be in there tonight, throughout the weekend, focusing on the entire building. We know, again, we’re gonna revisit our previous practices, improve on those so we are prepared,” said Michael Harris, MPS’s interim chief school administration officer.

Starting Monday, more than 200 students and 30 staff members will temporarily relocate to Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning.

In a letter sent to Trowbridge families and staff, MPS and the health department write that students will be taken to WCLL and will have the same teachers. School hours would remain the same too. If parents wanted to keep their kids home Friday before the transition, that absence would be excused.

“Having the closure allows the district to get in there and do the intensive work,” said Totoraitis.

Residents near Trowbridge say this is a step in the right direction for staff and students.

“People have known about lead and the effect it has on kids for a long time,” said Gary Glass, a nearby resident. “I have more sympathy and school teachers and school administrators.”

MPS and the Health Department says it's unclear how long the cleaning process will take and when Trowbridge will reopen.

“We are working with individuals that are being trained. We are making sure they are following the proper protocols,” said Harris.

MHD is in the process of setting up a lead screening clinic in two weeks for MPS students and staff. As for MPS, the district will have until March 21 to provide a written response to an ongoing maintenance plan for addressing lead concerns and cleaning protocols going forward.