Image Credit: Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Two Memphis Shelby County Schools in Midtown were found to have elevated lead levels in the drinking water after a recent test was conducted.
According to the school district, the level of lead found in certain drinking water sources at Bellevue Middle School and Central High School was more than twenty parts per billion. The district is responsible for testing the water for lead every other year in schools that were built before January 1st, 1998.
In the state of Tennessee, the acceptable level of lead in drinking water established by the Lead and Copper Rule is no more than 15 parts billion. The EPA has a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal of 0 parts per billion, indicating that no level of lead is considered to be safe to ingest.
The affected water sources were quickly removed from service and parents were notified by letter.
Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS) said that the findings did not mean that there is widespread contamination throughout the entirety of the schools, and promised to continue retesting the water while more permanent measures are implemented.
Five years ago when the district tested its water for lead in response to a new state law, dangerously high levels were found in 39 schools. The contaminated water was found in coolers, fountains, and sinks, leading to the district installing filters.
We reported last year that Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) executives announced their plan to replace all the lead pipes in the city over the next decade.
A new EPA rule that was implemented in an effort to improve drinking water safety requires cities in the United States to find and replace any waste lines that may be toxic.
MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen said in October that the utility was well prepared for the change having already taken steps to find and replace toxic pipes well ahead of the mandate. However, the law only places responsibility for pipes that run to the meter, not for replacing lines that run to or inside of structures.
Exposure to lead is a serious health concern with many well-documented adverse effects, especially in children under six.
These include damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed development, behavior and learning difficulties, problems with speech and hearing. Children who have been exposed to lead may have lower IQ, have attention difficulties and underperform in school.
While symptoms are not always obvious, an easily available blood lead test can show if children have been overly exposed. Preventing further exposure allows the amount of lead detectable in blood levels to gradually decrease. However, if lead has been stored in bones, it can take decades to decrease.
At the end of 2024, The Tennessee Conservative reported that Memphis was home to half of the most poorly performing schools in the state.
After the Tennessee Department of Education released their annual list detailing the best and worst schools and districts across the state, the ten poorest performing districts, whose overall scores fell into the bottom 5% of all districts for the 2023-2024 school year, were found to be Humboldt City Schools, along with Decatur, Hardeman, Johnson, Lawrence, Lewis, Perry, Sequatchie County Schools and Tennessee Schools for the Deaf.
Schools put on the Comprehensive Support & Improvement (CSI)/Priority schools list make it onto that list when they wind up in the bottom 5% on student performance according to test scores or when graduation rates drop to under 67%. More than half of the schools on the list last year were either in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District, or the Metro-Nashville Public Schools District.
Of the ninety-two schools currently on the list last year, eighteen failed to meet any of the exit criteria that would have taken them off the list for three years in a row.
Eight of these consistently poorly performing schools were in the Memphis-Shelby County School District: Alcy Elementary School, Chickasaw Middle School, Frayser-Corning Elementary School, Hamilton School, Hanley K8, Kingsbury Middle School, Larose Elementary School, Sheffield High School, and Woodstock Middle School. A ninth Shelby County school on the list, Martin Luther King Preparatory High School, closed last year after ten years of being included in the Achievement School District (ASD).
This year’s TCAP scores showed miniscule improvement in English Language Scores across the state with MSCS at the bottom of the list of the three grand state divisions with just 24.6 percent proficiency in ELA.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
