Tests Show Middle School Site Isn’t Tainted, Officials Say

Hoping to quell parents’ growing concerns over toxic contamination at Jefferson Middle School in South Los Angeles, officials announced Friday that preliminary test data showed no evidence of hazardous exposure on the campus.

“Jefferson students are not being harmed by toxic substances,” said Barbara Boudreaux, the Board of Education member who represents the school.

The announcement was based on analysis of soil and air samples taken over the weekend. Although the study will not be completed until next week, school officials said they felt compelled to disclose partial results because media coverage and rampant rumors had caused many parents to fear sending their children to the school.

Concern was sparked by the testimony of state officials last month who said that the Los Angeles Unified School District was failing to comply with environmental procedures required as a condition of opening the school.

Jefferson, which opened in August, was built on the site of a former furniture manufacturer and across the street from a state Superfund site.

Under questioning by state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles), several state environmental officials said they could no longer guarantee the safety of the school.

One of those officials joined a news conference by telephone Friday to buttress the district’s assurances.

Jess Huff, director of the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, said he had seen nothing in the data analyzed so far to suggest that Jefferson poses a hazard to students or teachers. The department monitored the district’s testing, which was conducted by an outside consultant.

Hayden criticized the testing as inadequate and said the district’s announcement promoted a false sense of security.