Lead concerns in Milwaukee Public Schools; new push for federal help
Concerns about lead in schools, Sen. Baldwin holds town hall
Sen. Tammy Baldwin held a town hall meeting on Monday, June 9 to talk with parents and MPS staff about lead concerns.
MILWAUKEE - Dangerous lead levels forced the closures of six Milwaukee Public Schools in 2025. Four of those six remain shut down. Now, there is a new push for federal help on the matter.
New push for federal help
What we know:
Westside Academy is one of six Milwaukee Public Schools shut down for dangerous lead levels.
Westside Academy, Milwaukee
Koa Branch has two children who attend school there. Even before the lead problem at Westside, Branch regularly had her kids tested for lead. Moving schools was a test for her kindergartner, Jonas.
What they're saying:
"We’re getting them tested again, tonight. I’m just nervous about it, so I just test them whenever I feel I need to test them," Branch said.
Other MPS parents shared similar problems during a roundtable with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) on Monday, June 9.
Townhall on lead concerns with Sen. Tammy Baldwin
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"I run a tight schedule. So, I'm used to my son getting off the bus at 2:36, so I can be at work by three, so now I’m getting late to work. I mean the communication with Brown Street is excellent, the transition, as far as getting them to school is excellent. But, it just took us out of our routine," said Santana Wells, a parent of a Brown Street School student.
Baldwin wants HHS secretary to visit Milwaukee
What we know:
Sen. Baldwin is now inviting U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy to visit Milwaukee and hear the stories from parents like Branch and Wells.
Townhall on lead concerns with Sen. Tammy Baldwin
"These children are people. It is not a blue or a red issue. This is everybody's issue," said Shyquetta McElroy, Coalition on Lead Emergency.
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The senator urges the Trump administration to reinstate laid off CDC lead experts.
"They could make the situation better today, by rehiring these experts," Baldwin said.
CDC experts in April
Dig deeper:
In April, the CDC told the Milwaukee Health Department it could not send a team of lead experts. The CDC blamed it on the complete loss of the lead program.
Secretary Kennedy told reporters in April, he thought that the program was being reinstated. But Sen. Baldwin said she is still waiting.
"He either was lying or he didn't know what was happening in his own department. And I don't know which is worse," Baldwin said.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin
HHS said the CDC did help validate new lab equipment for Milwaukee's lead testing.
A Milwaukee Health Department spokeswoman said that was a single lab tech who helped calibrate a new machine, not the team of experts once in discussions to come to Milwaukee.
The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.