Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School in the Rosemont neighborhood remains closed today (Monday) after being closed last week due to a lead exposure incident at the school.
Principal Suzanne Hess sent a letter to the school’s community last Thursday saying contractors at the school for window replacement work discovered lead in two classrooms.
“After thorough investigation, we learned today that our environmental contractor has identified lead particles in a kindergarten classroom (Room 2), a fourth grade classroom (Room 18), the main office suite and the clinic,” Hess wrote. “An environmental cleaning contractor will conduct comprehensive remediation cleaning in the affected areas tomorrow. While general cleaning has already occurred, this cleaning is essential in ensuring all residue has been removed.”
ACPS did not answer questions about how many students may have been exposed.
The school was closed on Friday, Sept. 27, and remains closed today as the school goes through cleaning. The school was already scheduled to be closed this week from tomorrow (Tuesday) to Friday.
A letter from ACPS administrators said once cleaning is completed, clearance tests will be conducted to confirm the lead has been removed before the school is reopening.
The Alexandria Health Department released an advisory notifying parents that exposed children would need a blood test to check for lead:
Lead exposure commonly happens when people put items containing lead in their mouths or when people breathe in lead dust in the air. If people – especially very young children and pregnant people – are exposed to lead, they can face harmful effects.
The only way to know if someone has lead in their blood is to take a test. You can get a test and health guidance through a health care provider. If you do not have a medical provider, call the Alexandria Health Department at 703.746.4988. An immediate emergency room or urgent care visit is not necessary for testing.
The school pivoted to remote learning, though families were unable to retrieve Chromebooks left at the school due to the cleaning process.
