Lead in Portland School Water Latest: Superintendent Apologizes, Vows "Cannot Happen Again"

Embattled Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith emailed parents and staff Saturday accepting responsibility for the lack of communication about lead in the water and vowing to make things better.

"I specifically want to take responsibility for the delay in notification to those directly affected by the situation," she wrote in the email. "This gap in information and communications regarding health and safety cannot happen again, and I am working to ensure that it won’t."

After first disclosing - on the heels of questions from the press - that lead had been discovered in the drinking water of two schools, it then admitted that it had been found in dozens of schools.

By the end of the week, it turned out that district officials had known of problems as long as six years ago and two top officials had been put on leave.

In the email, Smith outlines several steps the district is taking, including offering two free blood screening clinics for students at Rose City Park and Creston schools.

They will be: 

1. June 6, 3-8 p.m. Rose City Park School gym

2. June 8, 3-8 p.m. Preston K-8 School cafeteria

Smith adds:

• As an extra precaution, the water fountains have been closed in all of the schools and buildings and bottled water is being delivered regularly district-wide.
• All food preparation is being done without water or with bottled water through the end of the school year.
• Bottled water will continue to be provided to summer programs as additional testing and remediation efforts are identified and implemented.

The district has also established a website where updates will be posted.

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 The school board has hired the law firm of Stoll Berne to investigate who knew what when and to present recommendations on next steps that should be taken.

"The events of the last week have exposed a problem we are resolved to fix," Smith wrote. "You deserve to know that the information you receive about health and safety in our schools is accurate and timely and we are holding ourselves accountable to ensure that corrective actions are taken to deliver on that commitment."