1,000 signatures reached
To: OUSD School Board
Tell Oakland Unified: Get the Lead Out
Take districtwide action to protect kids from lead in drinking water: (1) remove lead-bearing pipes and plumbing, (2) install filters certified to remove lead, and (3) allow no more than 1 part per billion of lead in school drinking water, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Why is this important?
As Black families in Flint are still recovering from years of lead exposure, recent reports have revealed lead-tainted water in another Black community -- this time at McClymonds High School in West Oakland.
After news broke in August, Oakland school officials took some immediate, short-term actions to protect Black students at McClymonds, including installing filters on water fountains. But this recent incident could be the tip of the iceberg for lead-tainted water at Oakland schools, leaving more Black kids at risk for lead exposure.
No child should be exposed to lead while trying to learn in the classroom. Lead is highly toxic to kids, and even small exposures can cause permanent damage to their cognitive development. That's why pediatricians across the country stress that there is NO safe level of lead for our kids.
And data increasingly shows that wherever there is lead in pipes and plumbing, there is risk for contamination.
It's time for Oakland Unified to adopt a strong district-wide policy that will truly protect all kids from these lead threats.