District of Columbia public school officials left parents out of critical discussions over the amount of lead in the water of their children’s schools, a Board of Education member said Wednesday.
Nearly three-quarters of the District’s schools have had a sink, fountain or water cooler test positive for high amounts of lead. Parents weren’t told about the test results, board member Lisa Raymond told The Examiner.
“I’m very frustrated,” Raymond said. “Those results should have been posted on the Web.”
It took school officials nearly a year to test 18 schools for lead; under pressure, officials tested 129 schools in less than a month. Raymond said she was gratified that the testing went off so quickly, but she was disappointed that letters the superintendent’s office sent to parents were only mailed this week.
“It should have happened earlier,” Raymond said. “Parents should have been notified immediately.”
Lead is a toxic metal that causes numerous chronic health problems, from brain damage to birth defects. It affects children the worst. Some 55,000 students attend D.C. schools.
Another 15,000-20,000 students attend D.C. charter schools. Officials haven’t tested those buildings yet, but aides to Mayor Adrian Fenty have promised to lobby charter officials to move quickly to test their water.
On Tuesday, the District Council voted to give Fenty control of the schools. The legislation reduces the school board — D.C.’s oldest democratically elected public body — to an advisory commission.
Some, such as Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3, said that the schools’ lead crisis vindicated their vote.
“The schools are not well run,” Cheh said. “It’s appalling.”
Schools spokesman John White did not respond to requests for comment. The measure to give Fenty control of the schools must pass through two more District Council votes and obtain Congressional approval.
