The Hazelwood School District in Florissant is closing an elementary school because of radioactive contamination from World War II-era nuclear waste.
At a packed school board meeting Tuesday, district leaders announced Jana Elementary will move to virtual learning, starting next week, and teachers will work from another location.
As early as November, the district says families will get information about new school assignments and students could start at those new locations by Nov. 28.
“We recognized that you are being faced with a situation not created by anyone in this room and over which you have no control and that this is causing a disruption to our student’s education and school climate,” said school board president Betsy Rachel. “For that we sincerely apologize.”
At the board meeting, many parents said they were glad the district took action but still frustrated by the plans for virtual school.
Teresha Anderson’s daughter is a second grader at Jana and has special needs, which makes online class difficult.
“It’s just a whirlwind,” Anderson said. “I know my child. She cannot. We already did the virtual thing when the pandemic first hit so I hope Hazelwood will do right by the students, by every student.”
Parents were also unhappy with the district’s communication about the report. Many parents said they heard about it Friday from local news or the school’s Parent Teacher Association.
Some parents questioned why the school wasn’t already closed this week. Researchers with the firm Boston Chemical Data Corporation found “entirely unacceptable” levels of contamination at the school in samples collected in August. The contamination was in the school’s classrooms, library, kitchen and on playgrounds.
Parents are worried their kids could have serious health effects because of this situation.
The school board says it is working with legal counsel to make sure responsible agencies will clean up Jana and any other district sites.
“Inaction is not an option,” Congresswoman Cori Bush said in statement.
“These are dangerous chemicals in the classrooms where our children learn, on the playground where our children play, and in the cafeteria where our children eat—and it’s an emergency that requires an urgent response. The federal government is responsible for this waste, and we need answers from them on their plan to immediately begin cleanup of Jana Elementary and the surrounding areas.”
State Rep. Doug Clemens of St. Ann said the contamination “confirms our community’s darkest fears. The knowledge that these young lives have been needlessly put at risk is mind-numbing and heartbreaking.”
“Missourians today suffer from radioactive hazardous materials negligently scattered from downtown St. Louis to St. Charles County as far back the Manhattan Project. The Federal Government knew many of the risks posed by this waste as early as 1939, yet it took them over 50 years to begin clean-up efforts in 1992.
“As a resident of North St. Louis County, I share the pain of any family with child who attends or attended this school and the individuals who have suffered illness in their adult years. As a representative of the people, I have had enough.”
Clemens said he has requested that the US Department of Energy “to not only increase its work efforts in Missouri but to see that the Hazelwood School District and any other municipality, household, or commercial enterprise suffering real and opportunity cost damages be reimbursed by the government.”
“Our community should not shoulder the financial burdens of work stoppages on road or utility projects, of declining home values, or of mystery illnesses borne from the poison left by our government.”
Alvin A. Reid of the St. Louis American contributed to this report
