Parents say lead-removal work at Chinese immersion site exposed children; call for project halt and retesting

Parents and staff raised urgent safety concerns related to lead-removal and construction activity at a Chinese immersion elementary site. They reported that work disturbed painted surfaces while children used adjacent spaces and said that independent tests found hazardous levels in restrooms and play areas.

"Unfortunately, the most recent testing found high levels 3 times greater than the EPA hazard threshold in both the little girls and the little boys bathrooms," said a parent who identified herself as Kate, describing independent test results she said the district had not promptly released to families. Other parents said containment failures (open windows and vents) and delayed notifications meant children had been in affected spaces for weeks.

Parents asked the board to require that any area with unsafe results be cleaned and retested, that cleaning follow up be based on contemporary scientific standards rather than older thresholds, and that lead-related work occur during summer breaks or when children are not present. District staff acknowledged the concerns and said they would follow up with testing and timelines for remediation.