Committee adopts lead-safety resolution requiring public dashboard, added audits and monthly reporting

The Committee on Accountability, Finance and Personnel of the Milwaukee School District approved Resolution 2526R-001 on lead safety, directing the district to create clear lead-safety administrative policies, publish a public-facing dashboard tracking progress, add lead surveillance to annual school audits and provide regular reporting on paint-related work orders, response times and staffing.

The resolution, sponsored by Director Zombor and co-sponsored by Chair Cheryl O'Halloran, passed on a 5-0 roll call after public testimony and administration remarks. Director Jackson moved adoption; the motion passed with five ayes.

The resolution requires the administration to produce a dashboard that is “more than just a PDF” and to move reporting to monthly updates while lead-remediation work is underway and quarterly reports afterward, according to Director Zombor. Director Zombor emphasized the policy’s goals were to increase screening, expand family and student education and “regain trust” by making progress visible to families and staff.

Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius told the committee the administration supports greater transparency and is working with partners, including the Milwaukee Health Department and Children’s Hospital, on screening, communications and developing a dynamic dashboard. “We will continue to work with the board,” Cassellius said, recommending adoption of the resolution.

Several public commenters urged prompt action and raised concerns that current timelines and staffing would overburden teachers. Angela Harris, a virtual speaker, told the committee decluttering directives issued April 24 have left teachers feeling “overwhelming and unrealistic,” and asked whether teachers could be granted up to three compensated days after the last student day to complete required decluttering and ensure it is done safely. Harris said lead safety is “a matter of public health and educational equity.”

Ron Jansen, who identified himself as part of a parent community group that helped draft language in the item, urged the board to adopt the resolution to restore trust and ensure families receive open, honest communications about safety.

Administration officials said the district is already working on elements of the plan. Director Zombor and Chair O'Halloran pressed administration to clarify timelines and supports for teachers; Deputy Superintendent Eduardo Galván and other staff described a process to identify materials for removal and said movers would perform the physical removal so teachers would not be required to transport items themselves. Galván said the district plans to prioritize schools by need and to communicate priority tiers and schedules to principals and staff.

The resolution also calls for adding lead-surveillance documentation to each school’s annual audit so schools cannot “fall through the cracks,” and for a website reporting tool where families and staff can file concerns.

The committee voted 5-0 to adopt Resolution 2526R-001; the committee directed administration to implement the reporting schedule and dashboard described in the resolution and to continue collaborating with public health partners and community stakeholders.

The district did not specify in the meeting an exact implementation timeline for every dashboard element, nor a dollar figure for any new staffing or dashboard contract; the resolution asks the administration to return with regular reports as the work proceeds.