Pre-1950 MPS elementary school buildings are cleared of lead risks

After months of intensive work, all 50 Milwaukee Public School (MPS) schools built before 1950 that serve elementary students were cleared of lead risks, Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius announced Friday, September 5, 2025.

“We are committed to providing safe and welcoming schools to the community. Successfully addressing lead paint issues is a critical step in this work,” Dr. Cassellius said. “I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our Facilities and Maintenance Services team led by Interim Chief Operating Officer Mike Turza, our contractors, and the Milwaukee Health Department.”

The news comes during the first week of school for the 65,000-plus students who attend MPS. As the school year started Tuesday, 43 of the 50 elementary buildings built before 1950 were fully cleared. In the remaining seven schools, lead paint stabilization work was already completed and a limited number of spaces—typically one or two rooms in each school, including a bathroom in one case—were closed to students and staff during final cleaning and testing. Now the work is completed, and all 50 schools are cleared. The final two schools received clearances Thursday night.

“We have recognized this need with urgency and are grateful for the work of Dr. Cassellius and her team,” said Missy Zombor, president of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors. “The board will continue to provide oversight so we maintain high-quality, safe, and healthy facilities for students and staff.”

This fall, MPS will shift its focus to 52 schools built between 1950 and 1978 that serve elementary students. Due to the decreased use of lead-based paint during this period, the schools in this group have lower lead risks. Surveys of the buildings also have indicated lower lead hazards. (Lead paint was banned after 1978.) Work will be done outside of school hours to minimize disruptions to students and staff. The district’s goal is to complete the work by December 2025.

In Spring 2026, the district will complete final cosmetic painting in some of the first 50 schools where, to prioritize opening the schools safely by September, painting was focused on specific areas that needed to be stabilized.

Cassellius extended particular thanks to Michäél Mannan of the City of Milwaukee Health Department for his support. Since spring, Mannan served as a temporary in-house consultant with MPS to help address the lead crisis.
“From the beginning, MHD’s Home Environmental Health team has worked extensively with MPS to strengthen their facilities program around lead hazards,” said Mannan, who is director of the Health Department’s Home Environmental Health program.

“It’s unusual for MHD to embed its own program director inside a school district, but this collaborative step was necessary to tackle the crisis from the inside out,” Mannan said. “Through this partnership, MHD helped MPS develop a strong stabilization plan, provided technical oversight, and ensured clearances met state standards. Thanks to everyone’s collaborative efforts, MPS is in a much stronger position to maintain safe buildings for years to come.”

Said City of Milwaukee Commissioner of Health Mike Totoraitis, PhD, “When our investigation first brought lead hazards in MPS schools to light in early 2025, the City of Milwaukee Health Department immediately stepped in to work side by side with the district to identify hazards across the district and build a comprehensive plan for renovations and ongoing maintenance.

“I’m proud of the extensive work our team has done since then to support MPS and ensure schools meet safety standards. MHD is pleased with the progress MPS made this summer to get buildings ready for the new school year, and we’re confident they can continue this work to keep schools safe in the future.”

MPS will continue to update its lead report page online so the community can see progress. Visit mpsmke.com/mpsleadreport.