Committee hears report that Washington School dust testing found no lead levels of concern; members debate retesting and cleaning
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Summary
The superintendent said same-day laboratory and on‑site testing after ceiling work at Washington School found no lead levels of concern; some committee members urged outside contractors or future retesting while administration said in‑house cleaning and equipment produced a zero-readout and further testing was ‘not warranted’ unless the committee directs it.
The Lowell School Committee on Nov. 19 received an on‑the‑record update on dust testing at the Washington School after construction in a basement area spread dust through parts of the building. The superintendent told the committee he had received the official testing report shortly before the meeting and that "there are no lead levels of concern in the school." The district also ordered thorough cleaning over the weekend using specialized techniques and equipment.
Committee members raised questions about the report's final disclaimer — quoted in the meeting as "dust wipe testing does not mean that the unit complies with all requirements of 105 CMR 460" — and asked what that language meant in practice. Member Miss Doherty asked for clarification of that sentence when staff presented the testing results. The superintendent characterized the line as a standard disclaimer and told the committee the technicians had tested the specific area where the ceiling work took place.
On testing methods, a committee member asked whether district custodial staff had the right equipment or whether outside specialist contractors should have been hired. The superintendent said district personnel included staff with relevant experience and that they had "the proper equipment on hand to do the work." He also described a handheld instrument used by technicians, saying it produced a readout of "0 lead." The superintendent said that, while the administration believed further testing was "simply not warranted," the district would carry out any action the committee directed.
Some members asked that the report and test results be published on the district website so families can access them; Miss Doherty specifically requested the report be uploaded "tomorrow." Other members suggested scheduling follow‑up testing on a timeline (for example, one to three months) to confirm conditions after dust had time to settle. The superintendent said the district had previously engaged outside contractors in other situations when warranted and would do so if future tests or conditions required it.
The committee did not adopt a motion to retest at the Nov. 19 meeting; the administration said it would follow any motion the committee made and that it had already completed recommended mitigation steps.