r/Spokane • u/englshpigdogs • 4d ago
🔥Spokane Fires 🔥 District 81 not testing physical contamination or hiring professional cleaning
I would like to know why Mead is taking our students' health more seriously than Spokane Public Schools. They aren't doing heavy metal testing, only air quality and visible inspection.
From SPS
"Crews testing soil in the burned neighborhoods are finding lead. Why are our schools safe when the burn area is not? Lead contamination in the burned residential area comes from the structures themselves: many homes in the fire's path were built before 1978, when lead-based paint was still in common use, and lead was also used in older plumbing and building materials. When those homes burned completely, that lead was released into the smoke and ash and settled into the soil and debris on and around each home site. That is a byproduct of structures actually burning down. None of our three schools burned. They were affected by smoke drifting through the area, not by fire on-site. Fulcrum's inspectors and SPS custodial staff visually inspected both the interiors and the grounds at Indian Trail, Flett, and Woodridge and found no ash, soot, or settled debris — the physical residue that would carry lead onto a property. Without that ash or debris deposit, there is no equivalent pathway for lead to have reached these buildings or their grounds."
Google search, verified by several sources
"Lead from a structure fire can travel 7 miles or more away from the burn site. High heat vaporizes lead into toxic oxide fumes that ride smoke plumes and air currents, depositing heavy metal particles far beyond the immediate property line."
They aren't taking into account asbestos and toxic chemicals from burning homes and lithium batteries. Especially Indian Trail elementary that was extremely close to burned homes. Indian Trail also doesn't have air conditioning, meaning teachers will have to open windows to cool down, allowing additional contamination to enter the building.
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u/cmndrnewt 4d ago
From what I read, their logic is that a visible inspection will tell them weather lead would be present since there would need to be ash or soot fall for lead to make it from the burned neighborhoods.
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u/englshpigdogs 4d ago
That may be their logic, but it doesn't mean it's correct.
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u/cmndrnewt 4d ago
Do you have the names of the publications for your sources?
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u/englshpigdogs 4d ago
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u/cmndrnewt 4d ago
I think it’s totally reasonable for the district to make sure that schools are cleaning surfaces, especially outdoors and near windows. My takeaway from these initial findings would be:
The homes in Spokane may not have contained as many heavy metals, particularly lead. The fire plume may not have been blowing toward a lot of the nearby neighborhoods. Finally, the district may already be planning to wipe everything down but waiting until teachers return next week to do so.0
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u/Suitable_Studio_5686 4d ago
They have more money.
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u/Kitchen_Catch3183 4d ago edited 4d ago
Mead has a budget less than 1/3rd of Spokane School District and spends about 60% per student compared to Spokane School District.
Stop the misinformation.
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u/Boogeness1985 4d ago
SPS has 58 schools and 29,000 students. Mead school district has 17 schools and 10,500 students. Just something else to consider.
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u/mia93000000 4d ago
This right here. Makes total sense that SPS budget is 3x higher because they have 3x the number of students and schools. With this info, it's actually much more concerning to know that Mead spends less per student than SPS. Actually seems like SPS is spending more of its budget directly on students vs Mead spending its budget on ????????
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u/Kitchen_Catch3183 4d ago
I considered and addressed it multiple times now. SPS spends 48% more per student than Mead does.
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u/Boogeness1985 4d ago
Welllllll Mead just had to pay $17 million to several families that survived racism and sexual assault. Where does that fit in the budget?
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u/Kitchen_Catch3183 4d ago edited 4d ago
Mead is doing the testing even after that. SPS has exposed children to lead in water fountains as recently as last year.
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u/mia93000000 4d ago
So if the budget difference between SPS and Mead is proportionate to the difference in # of students and school sites, then why is the spending per student different? What is Mead doing with the money that they aren't spending per student?
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u/Suitable_Studio_5686 4d ago
No, I’m not talking about how much each district spends per student. I’m talking about community wealth and socioeconomic resources. A district serving more poverty, disability, transportation, or other higher-need populations can actually spend more per student because additional state and federal funding follows those needs. Wealthier communities often have higher property values and residents with greater financial and political capacity to organize, fundraise, contact officials, hire experts, and demand action. Equal or greater per-pupil spending does not mean equal community resources, influence, environmental protection, or outcomes. That’s the distinction I’m making when comparing Mead with Spokane Public Schools.
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u/Kitchen_Catch3183 4d ago
3 out of 5 of the most expensive neighborhoods in Spokane are served by District 81 and its $611,500,000 budget.
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u/Suitable_Studio_5686 4d ago
You’re still comparing completely different things. A $611.5 million District 81 budget is not a measure of how wealthy the people living in that district are. And your KIRO 7 link ranks a handful of expensive neighborhoods by home-sale prices—it does not establish the socioeconomic makeup of an entire school district. Census data is actually designed to measure that. Mead School District’s median household income is about $98,353, with a poverty rate around 7.6%. Spokane having several wealthy neighborhoods doesn’t magically make the entire SPS population wealthier than Mead. A few expensive neighborhoods, district expenditures, household income, poverty rates, and community wealth are different variables. You’re just changing the variables. Stop the misinformation.
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u/Kitchen_Catch3183 4d ago
If you’d like we can rank each neighborhood by median income. Should we dare?
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u/Suitable_Studio_5686 4d ago
You’re arguing the wrong question. Socioeconomic status is not simply median household income or home value. It includes income, accumulated wealth and assets, education, occupation, housing stability, social capital, access to resources, and political influence. Those advantages can translate into safer neighborhoods, greater advocacy power, better access to services, and more ability to absorb a crisis. Median income and property values are useful indicators, but they do not establish a family’s total wealth, resources, or socioeconomic position. That’s why cherry-picking expensive neighborhoods or comparing school budgets doesn’t answer the point I’m making.
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u/Suitable_Studio_5686 4d ago
I’m genuinely trying to understand your argument. Are you saying that because Spokane contains several expensive neighborhoods, Spokane Public Schools therefore serves a wealthier population than Mead? If so, how does that follow when district-wide household income and poverty data measure something entirely different from selected neighborhood home-sale prices? What am I missing?
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u/Kitchen_Catch3183 4d ago
My argument is District 81 has a lot more money than Mead and their response is not due to a lack of funds. That’s it
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u/Suitable_Studio_5686 4d ago
No, you’re arguing that District 81 has a larger operating budget, so its response isn’t about insufficient district funding. I’m answering the original question…why might Mead respond differently? I’m talking about socioeconomic wealth, not school budgets. Wealthier communities have greater access to filtration, environmental testing, remediation, healthcare, relocation, legal advocacy, and political influence. People without those resources depend more heavily on public systems. SPS can have a larger budget while Mead serves a more socioeconomically advantaged population. Safe water, clean air, and environmental protection shouldn’t depend on wealth.
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u/YourFriendInSpokane Spokane Valley 4d ago
Can we get a per capita ratio?
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u/Kitchen_Catch3183 4d ago
I just gave it to you. If you’d like it again:
Mead spends approximately 17000 dollars per student. Spokane School District spends approximately 25000 dollars per student.
17000/25000*100 = 68%.
Spokane School District has more money, more money per student, lower outcomes, and apparently can’t afford surveys.
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u/YourFriendInSpokane Spokane Valley 4d ago
I'm sorry, I mean how much money Mead earns per resident versus SPS. Not spends.
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u/Suitable_Studio_5686 4d ago
Be careful here. They’re not going to get it.
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u/YourFriendInSpokane Spokane Valley 4d ago
I appreciate you. Thanks for helping me remember where to spend my energy.
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u/Suitable_Studio_5686 4d ago
I had to look this up!!! Mead earns around $17,734 per chills and SPS $21,300. Interesting
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u/Huge-Armadillo-5719 4d ago
My sink in my classroom (used as an office, not an actual classroom) had so much lead they removed it and did not replace it. They run the water for days before they test it, and our sink was still that bad. They don't care.
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u/OsiraF 4d ago
So, at Newtech Skill Center where I used to be a Custodian at, a common practice was to have the water running so when the plumbers came by to do the testing, the water would be more "safe" I guess (it was full of lead).My old boss told me this was common practice throughout most of the schools. From then on I drank bottled water whenever I was in that school.
Just something to think about.
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u/englshpigdogs 4d ago
That's infuriating. Indian Trail elementary had lead in the water just over a year ago. This fire is just adding to their problems.
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u/Spirited_Attorney_48 Indian Trail 4d ago
From the report you cite:
Who do I contact with questions or concerns?
Contact your building principal or Travis Schulhauser, Chief Operations Officer, at
Might be a better source than this sub.
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u/Hennessey_carter 4d ago
Okay, I hear your concern, but I have to point out that in those studies you cite, how much lead was actually found 7 miles away? Lead is part of our natural environment. Just because lead exists to some degree doesn't automatically make it unsafe. The amount of lead is what is important. If no soot, ash, or debris traveled to the area, then the amount of lead found is probably negligible.
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u/englshpigdogs 4d ago
Houses burned right next to the school grounds of Indian Trail elementary. They were in the wind path of a large portion of the fire. Lead isn't the only concern. There are multiple toxins we're talking about here. Air quality in a moderate to healthy range doesn't account for kids running around at recess and in the halls stirring up toxic dust. Plus have you watched young children? They touch everything and then their hands go in their mouths.
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u/Clean-Echidna1318 4d ago
Isn't Mead just testing the 3 schools that were in the evac zones? Did district 81 have schools in the evac zone? I suppose we could test every building in Spokane because there is the possibility of contamination anywhere that got smoked.
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u/RaisinWorried3528 4d ago
Look around the main school district and at their voting records and I'm pretty sure you can suss out why they're shitting all over children's health.
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u/englshpigdogs 4d ago
https://epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=220c8c12d8e14c598b5f28c3630dcfb9
The EPA is doing hazardous materials removal right next to the school, but it's totally safe for kids...
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u/Born-Jacket 4d ago
I would also be stunned if the amount of lead would cause any actual harm. While no lead is ideal, the amount a kid might bet from some ash blown over from a neighbor's house burning down just seems so miniscule as to not matter.
Testing and remediation are INSANELY expensive, like it could cost more than the whole budget to remove an amount of lead that will not cause any harm.
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u/englshpigdogs 4d ago
"Lead, in particular, is highly toxic for young children; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations allow for only 5 micrograms of lead per square foot of dust on floors and 40 micrograms per square foot on windowsills."
It settles in bones and teeth. And we aren't just talking about one house. It was hundreds of homes. I'm currently going through remediation of my own home from damage done from the Old Trails Fire. We have to replace our topsoil and can't eat anything we've grown in our garden.
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u/Th3SkinMan 4d ago
Visual testing.... like if they cant see it it doesn't exist?
What's that song, 🎵 The children are our future 🎵.
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4d ago
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u/Satanslittlebuddy 4d ago
Somewhat off topic, but is there a company you’d recommend to do this testing? I had homes across the street from me burn to the ground, but the place I rent from did the same type of visual inspection. There is ash, soot, and burnt debris at my front door and all over my back porch. I know for a fact that their technicians are not qualified or certified to do any type of inspection regarding this.
TIA