Latest news with #KristenPayne
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MPS lead crisis; board meeting Thursday, will consider pair of resolutions
The Brief Milwaukee Public Schools could explore legal options available to the district regarding the lead crisis. The board is also working on making its response to the crisis more transparent and accountable. The two items go before the full board at a meeting on Thursday, April 17. 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. 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. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android 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. What we know Additionally, the board is working on making its response to the crisis more transparent and accountable. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News 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. 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.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MPS lead exposure; parents demand transparency, leaders to release findings
The Brief The Milwaukee Health Department will release the Lead Risk Assessment findings for each inspected MPS facility to ensure transparency. Tests were conducted following individual cases of high blood lead levels in students. Parents are demanding transparency from school and health officials. MILWAUKEE - After dangerous levels of lead were found in two Milwaukee Public Schools buildings, parents want answers about the risk to their children. What we know The Milwaukee Health Department will release the Lead Risk Assessment (LRA) findings for each inspected MPS facility to ensure transparency. The Golda Meir Lower Campus LRA will be made public on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Local perspective Kristen Payne's child is a student at Golda Meir. She and other parents are hesitant to send their kids to school after the Milwaukee health department found high levels of lead there. "Why on earth did we get to this to begin with?" Payne asked. "To me something is just not adding up with the prevention piece." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Last week, MPS and the MHD said Kagel Elementary School also had high levels of lead. Now parents are questioning why this wasn't caught earlier and say the information they are getting is confusing. Payne started a petition asking for clarity. "This is about getting answers to what went wrong and why the communication is so horrendous at this juncture and why we are getting the message schools are safe – but there is an immediate and serious risk to health and safety," Payne said. MPS says they want to be transparent but have not yet received the full report. In the meantime, MPS facilities and maintenance senior director Sean Kane says the district is proactively doing enhanced cleaning, and remediation. "Whenever you have training policies that you do lead paint renovator tactics and practices that we do have certified people that are on facilities staff that have that training and perform those tasks and meet those needs," Kane said. "Our schools are safe. And again, I do understand the concern of some of the information that has been shared out and again we are trying to be open and transparent about things." FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android To maintain safe facilities, MPS must fully adhere to MHD's directives on lead hazard cleaning, remediation, and abatement. If MHD determines that MPS is not following its safety measure directives, MHD will explore additional enforcement actions as necessary. The Source The Milwaukee Health Department and Milwaukee Public Schools provided information.
