The city of East Chicago, Indiana is still in disaster relief mode after residents recently learned their soil contains poisonous levels of lead. State officials have loaned the school district 3 million dollars to support its response to the crisis.
East Chicago’s Carrie Gosch elementary school sits next to soil that contains staggering levels of lead. That’s a major health threat that can harm children’s brain development.
So, as a safety measure, district officials moved about 450 elementary students to an abandoned middle school across – and rushed to renovate it before school began.
“It was not in any way shape or form ready for school to be open in that building,” McNulty said.
Paige McNulty is School City of east Chicago superintendent.
“We had not done our planned maintenance on boilers and everything like that,” said McNulty.
McNulty says the 3 million dollar state loan will pay for past maintenances like that and lowering toilets and sinks to make bathrooms elementary friendly … and for future maintenance like installing internet in the abandoned school.
Mcnulty says she hopes state legislators will forgive that loan.