The school district also announced they hired law firm Stoll Berne to investigate “the incidents that led to the delay in shutting off water sources impacted by lead in several schools last week”.
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The city notified parents last week that fixtures in two schools tested in March showed toxins above federally-regulated levels.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, an orthopedic surgeon, issued a statement Thursday calling on the Portland School Board to fire Smith or place her on leave ‘pending an inestigation into her incompetence.
Smith said the district has a budget of $450,000 to address any changes needed to make water safe before the next school year, but more could be spent if necessary.
“The health and safety of our students and staff is paramount”.
“We look forward to their swift and thorough review so we can share their findings and take any corrective action necessary”, said Board Chair Tom Koehler.
The 2012 email from PPS to concerned Rigler parents said facilities staff would be placing multi-lingual “stickers” above questionable sinks and installing a water bottle filling unit on one of the drinking fountains at Rigler.
A community meeting is also scheduled at Rose City Park Wednesday evening. “I am exhausted of the broken promises, the mismanagement and the endless dog and pony show of meeting after meeting that pretends to address the public need”, he said.
Smith says she wants more information before deciding whether to return the men to their jobs.
Elevated lead levels were found in 2 schools, Creston and Rose City Park. The highest lead readings were 16 times the federal level, the Oregonian reported.
“I feel betrayed”, said Julie Frank, who was scrambling to get her 8-year-old son Joey a blood test on Wednesday after learning elevated levels were found in his school, Reike Elementary, as far back as 2001. “This is not our protocol, this is not acceptable, and we’re taking a number of immediate actions, she said”.
The report, based on a public records request, landed during an emergency meeting already underway to discuss why the Portland Public Schools failed to disclose elevated lead levels at two schools for almost two months and left the taps running for days while it completed repairs.
Portland Public Schools is now putting its 49,000 students on bottled water until it can test all 78 schools over the summer.
Parents leveled harsh criticism at officials over high amounts of lead found in water sources at two Portland schools, while Schools Superintendent Carole Smith promised an independent investigation into how it occurred.
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But many Portland parents are adamant that it should happen more frequently than every 15 years, the school district’s current interval.
