The International School at Gregory is urging that its young students be tested for lead exposure while remediation efforts take place. According to the New Hanover County Schools district, the response by health department and school officials was initiated due to an anonymous concern.
New Hanover County Health Director Jon Campbell wrote in an email to county commissioners today, provided by the county, that “several areas of concern” were identified on November 16, 2022. State inspectors conducted testing on January 24 and the results were sent to NHCS Superintendent Dr. Charles Foust in a letter dated February 24 and received on March 1. According to the district, the letter was only sent via certified mail, not as an accompanying email.
According to an NHCS spokesperson, affected areas were closed on or about March 2.
According to several Gregory parents, the school sent the following message on the evening of Sunday, March 12, which noted the closure of the school’s gym and auditorium but did not explicitly mention lead hazards:
Gregory Gym and Auditorium Temporarily Closed
Understandably, the gym's recent closure at Gregory has raised questions and concerns. Please know that we are taking all necessary actions to address the issue and ensure the school environment is safe for our students and staff. In response to an anonymous concern, we have been in communication with the Health Department to investigate and test the areas of concern. We will continue to work closely with them to ensure that any necessary actions are taken. Please rest assured that we are taking this matter seriously and will provide any necessary updates as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. You may also reach out to the New Hanover County Health and Human Services, Environmental Health with questions.
Testing results, health concerns
According to Campbell’s email, “recent results of [lead] testing show that three of the 30 areas marked for testing were above the legal limit for lead allowance. These areas are in a closet, the gym and auditorium, all of which have been closed to the public so that work to clean, repair and repaint them could take place. Some of that occurred over the past weekend and the school system has engaged an environmental cleanup service for full restoration and remediation of the areas. They are working with the state on that full remediation plan.”
The results, provided by NHCS in a press release after WHQR inquired about the situation, identified dust on the auditorium stage floor and the interior gym foyer floor as having lead levels two-to-three times the state’s public health standard. There was also lead identified in a closet, at levels roughly 2,400 times the state standard; the district emphasized the closet was not in use as a seclusion room or for other purposes.
According to officials, the parents and guardians of all students under the age of six who were in the building during the last six months will be contacted by the county health department through certified mail; they will be advised to have their children’s blood lead level tested, a service provided for free by the health department. Children under six are the most vulnerable to the health impacts of lead poisoning, according to officials.
All parents of students at Gregory are encouraged to contact their child’s healthcare provider if they have concerns.
The county’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program can be reached at 910-798-6612. More info is available here.
According to an NHCS spokesperson, the district “wants to assure parents and guardians that we take our students and staff's health and safety seriously. We will continue to work with the Health Department to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to address this issue.”
Below: Lead hazard testing results and letter to Dr. Charles Foust from NHCDHHS.
