MILWAUKEE — Hundreds of students from seven Milwaukee Public Schools showed up Saturday for a free lead screening clinic, hosted by the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD).

What You Need To Know

  • Hundreds of students got tested for lead at the Milwaukee Health Department's free lead screening clinic, Saturday, March 15

  • It came after seven Milwaukee public schools were found to have hazardous levels of lead in them. Those schools are Golda Meir's Lower Campus, Kagel Elementary, Trowbridge School, Maryland Avenue, Starms, Fernwood and LaFollette

  • Lead tests were done through a finger prick. Medical staff looked for blood lead levels to read 3.5 micrograms per deciliter or lower. That’s the acceptable level set by the CDC

  • Milwaukee Public Schools and the health department continue to inspect schools built before 1950. Seven more schools are currently being inspected

It came after MHD found hazardous levels of lead at Golda Meir’s Lower Campus, Kagel Elementary, Trowbridge School, Maryland Avenue, Starms, Fernwood and LaFollette.

At least three students have had lead poisoning tied to MPS schools, health officials found. That has prompted school district and health department leaders to take corrective action.

Saturday’s lead screening clinic was free and open to families of the seven impacted schools. The parents Spectrum News spoke with all left with good news — their children tested low for lead.

Nicole Gaimacopulos is a mom to 5-year-old Isaac who attends Maryland Avenue Montessori, one of the seven schools undergoing lead abatement. Her son tested low for lead.

“We’re you scared, though?” Nicole Gaimacopulos asked her son. “No,” he said.

Isaac was one of the many kids that got their finger pricked to test for lead on Saturday.

LaTonya Evans-Kirk took her three grandkids to get tested; all of them go to LaFollette School.

“They were all extremely low,” said Evans-Kirk.

It was a shared sigh of relief for Fernwood Montessori parent Jeremy Fojet.

“Great to have it so quick, in response to what happened,” said Fojet.

Medical staff looked for blood lead levels to read 3.5 micrograms per deciliter or lower. That’s the acceptable level set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“A finger poke test that gives a level of 3.5 or greater would trigger the response to have a venous blood draw,” said Dr. Mike Gutzeit with Children’s Wisconsin, which partnered with MHD.

If a child is found to have high levels of lead in their blood, the health department would then connect with their family to determine the source of lead exposure.

“In this situation, we are concerned about the schools, but, really, this is the first step to get an answer to that question of whether or not it’s from a school or from a residence,” said MHD Commissioner of Health Mike Totoraitis.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson stopped by the clinic as well, ensuring more testing like this is to come.

“At the end of the day, what’s most important though is public health and public health of some of the youngest kids in Milwaukee,” said Johnson.

New MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius started her new role on Saturday by attending the clinic.

Families said they were pleased at how their kids were treated through this process.

“They talked to kids so they wouldn’t be nervous or scared,” said Evans-Kirk.

“Staff was awesome. They really helped. They saw he was really scared when his sister went through and cried,” said Gaimacopulos.

Milwaukee Public Schools and the health department continue to inspect other MPS schools built before 1950. Schools under inspection now are:

  • Hopkins Lloyd
  • Brown Street Academy
  • Doerfler Elementary
  • Longfellow Elementary
  • Westside Academy
  • Auer Avenue School
  • Franklin Elementary

To check the status of the ongoing investigations, and for additional lead screening clinics, visit City.Milwaukee.Gov.

Related Stories