The School City of Hammond School Board had a heated public meeting on Tuesday following reports of lead found in the schools’ drinking water.
In an email to staff on Thursday, Superintendent Walter Watkins said seven buildings, including six schools, registered lead levels above the recommended Environmental Protection Agency threshold when tested on Aug. 9-13.
"It’s important we took the time to develop a plan to address this crisis."
The administrators handed out certain details of the test at the board meeting, indicating that a total of 52 water fountains and 28 sinks were taken out of service due to lead contamination levels.
He said once those results are in, he will publish them on the School City of Hammond website, and the administration will decide appropriate action.
"Later I found out we were not going to be giving out bottled water to kids," Watkins said.
"That’s not what we’re recommending because we don’t know at times what’s in bottled water that you’re allowing to enter schools."
However, some residents were not satisfied with the answers given to them Tuesday evening, calling for a full report of the first round of testing to be released to the public, including the name of the third-part agency that’s doing the water quality tests.
"I don’t know how I’m supposed to look at them and tell them they’re supposed to learn when my classroom is 92 degrees," Ramirez said at the meeting.
"How can I deliver the student rights and staff rights during suspended curriculum, when it says they have the right to a safe environment that is conducive to learning, when it’s 92 degrees in their classroom?"