Newark School Officials Say Lead Contamination Goes Back Years

Officials with Newark Public Schools said test results show "a significant number" of its buildings have had elevated levels of lead in recent years.

School officials said 12 percent of water samples taken from their buildings since 2012 showed lead levels that are higher than the federal threshold.

"Since this concern came to my attention last Monday, district staff, and government partners at the city and state have been working around the clock to better understand this situation," Superintendent Christopher Cerf said in a statement. "And to ensure that this is handled cautiously and responsibly."

The news came a week after District officials announced elevated lead levels in nearly half its buildings. The local teachers union said the school system has not addressed the problem, including a failure to replace expired water filters.

But Newark Public Schools said it has worked to remediate lead through various protocols for over a decade. It said it's now retesting the entire system, installing water coolers, and increasing access to blood tests for families.

The school system said it will publish the full results from the past three years of tests on its website on Thursday.