Milwaukee schools confront lead contamination crisis without CDC support

A widening lead contamination crisis in Milwaukee’s public schools has left several children exposed and forced school closures, while the city navigates the fallout alone after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) denied federal aid and laid off key experts.

Julie Bosman reports for The New York Times.

In short:

• Investigators found flaking lead paint and hazardous lead dust in at least seven Milwaukee public schools; three buildings have been closed and more are expected to shut down.
• The CDC recently laid off two lead experts who had been slated to assist the city and then denied a formal request for emergency support, known as an Epi-Aid.
• Parents and advocates are pressing the school district and city leaders for failing to maintain aging facilities and provide timely responses amid a persistent lead poisoning threat.

Key quote:

“There is no bat phone anymore. I can’t pick up and call my colleagues at the CDC about lead poisoning anymore.”

— Dr. Michael Totoraitis, Milwaukee health commissioner

Why this matters:

Lead exposure remains one of the most insidious public health threats to American children, particularly in older urban areas where housing and public infrastructure predate the 1978 ban on lead-based paint. Milwaukee’s crisis reflects a broader national failure to address the legacy of lead in schools and homes. The neurotoxin, even in small amounts, can irreversibly damage brain development in children, impair learning, and increase behavioral disorders. Disproportionately affecting low-income and Black neighborhoods, lead poisoning perpetuates cycles of poverty and educational inequity. As federal agencies scale back due to budget cuts, local health departments—already stretched thin—must confront long-term environmental health problems without expert support or adequate funding. This leaves vulnerable communities with fewer defenses against preventable health hazards.

For more: Milwaukee schools scramble to manage lead crisis after CDC cuts its lead poisoning team