—— Updated Message and Information from February 27, 2026 ——
Hello Northwood Families,
See attached public education brochure.
As you may recall, in October 2025, the Northwood School District collected five water samples and tested them for lead. One or more samples exceeded the action level of 15 micrograms per liter (µg/L). The District issued a notice informing the school community of elevated lead levels detected in water from specific classrooms. Follow-up lead and copper testing identified outdated faucets containing lead as the source.
To address the issue, the Northwood School District replaced all identified outdated faucets with certified lead-free fixtures. All replacements were completed by licensed plumbers to ensure compliance and reduce lead levels in the water supply.
The results of our recent investigative lead samples have returned results below the Action Level limit. We now have our drinking stations open and will continue to monitor water as required.
As part of the Public Education Program, the District is now providing additional information on reducing lead exposure around your home or building and the health effects of lead, visit EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ lead or contact your healthcare provider.
Have a great weekend,
Mr. Kelly
—— Updated Message and Information from February 26, 2026 ——
Hello Northwood Families,
I'm reaching out today to share a few highlights and update:
Progress grades for the third quarter have now been posted for our middle and high school students. Please take a moment to review them if you haven't already.
We've also installed a new Honor Roll display in the commons to celebrate our students' academic achievements. Be sure to check it out the next time you're in the building.
Next week, our elementary school will be celebrating Read Across America, and we're looking forward to a week that promotes a love of reading.
Spring Break is coming up the week of March 9 th through March 13 th, and we're all looking forward to some warmer weather and a well-deserved break.
We've had a successful winter sports season that is continuing with basketball regional play.Also, middle school wrestling has recently started and we wish them a great season.
Finally, I'd like to provide an update regarding our water fixtures. As you may recall, earlier this school year, the District replaced the outdated faucets with certified lead-free fixtures. Since completing those replacements, all testing results, including the most recent investigative samples, have remained below the action level limit. We continue to work closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to ensure ongoing compliance monitoring. That being said, we are pleased that all drinking stations are open. We're also pleased with how this situation was addressed and resolved.
Our next step is completing the required Public Education Program. In partnership with the DNR, the District has developed a brochure that provides helpful information about reducing lead exposure at home or in other buildings, which will be sent out soon.
Thank you, Mr. Kelly
—— Updated Message and Information from December 19, 2025 ——
Dear Families and Staff,
I'm writing to provide an additional update on the recent water testing conducted at our school, along with the final details of the plan to replace faucets.
We truly appreciate your continued support and understanding as we continue to navigate this situation together.
We have completed the water quality parameter (WQP) sampling, which included samples taken at the building entry point and throughout the internal distribution system. Water quality parameters evaluate physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water and also help determine whether any corrosion control treatment is needed. The results have been received, and no levels exceeded the level of quantification, if fact most were well below, which is great news.
The replacement of outdated faucets will begin next week and is scheduled to be completed before staff and students return from the holiday break. Following this work, we will resume additional lead and copper compliance sampling.
We are scheduled to meet with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, to review the WQP results and discuss the next steps required to successfully complete the monitoring program.
We want to ensure that you feel informed and confident in the steps we are taking to maintain a safe environment for everyone. We will continue to follow all state and local guidance throughout this process.
If you have any questions, please contact the district office. Either our Building and Grounds Director, Julie, or I will be happy to assist.
Sincerely,
Mr. Kelly
—— Updated Message and Information from November 20, 2025 ——
Dear Families and Staff,
I'm writing to share another update regarding the additional water testing conducted at our school recently and the ongoing plan to replace faucets.
We truly appreciate your continued support and understanding as we navigate this situation together. The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our top priority and we continue working to address this issue as quickly and effectively as possible.
On 11-11-25, our Buildings and Grounds Director once again met with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to continue investigative testing in 10 additional locations. These tests included other sinks in the classrooms, water fountains, kitchen, concession stand, etc. We just received these investigative results which determine that the primary concern at this point remains isolated to outdated faucets.
On 11-17-25, our Buildings and Grounds Director met with the DNR to collect compliance water samples related to water quality parameters at both the entry point and also within the distribution system. They also performed compliance lead and copper source water samplings. We should receive these results in the very near future.
As we progress through the testing and as a safeguard, we are continuing with plans to have all outdated faucets replaced by licensed professionals, which we currently anticipate to be completed before Christmas break.
We want to make sure you feel informed and confident in the steps we are continuing to take to ensure the safety of everyone.
Our next steps under the direction of the DNR are to begin the corrosion control treatment recommendation worksheet and also conduct additional lead and copper compliance samples. These additional samples will be taken after completing the project of replacement of the outdated faucets. We will continue to follow all state and local guidance throughout this process. We will share the full Department of Natural Resources compliance testing results with you as soon as they become available.
Sincerely,
Mr. Kelly
Superintendent of Schools
—— Updated Message and Information from November 7, 2025 ——
Dear Families and Staff,
I'm writing to share an update regarding the recent lead testing conducted at our school.
The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our top priority and we continue working to address this issue as quickly and effectively as possible. We truly appreciate your continued support and understanding as we navigate this situation together. Please know that we continue to take this situation very seriously.
Through our internal investigative testing-conducted in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)-we have identified two classroom faucets with suspected elevated lead levels. These faucets have already been removed and replaced with brand new faucets by licensed plumbing professionals. As a safeguard, we are also making plans to have all classroom faucets replaced as they are aging. The classroom sinks will remain turned off until follow-up testing confirms that lead levels are safe.
We want to make sure you feel informed and confident in the steps we're taking to ensure the safety of everyone.
Additional water testing is scheduled for Tuesday, November 11, and we will continue to follow all state and local guidance throughout this process. We will share the full Department of Natural Resources compliance testing results with you as soon as it becomes available.
Sincerely,
Mr. Kelly
Superintendent of Schools
—— Updated Message and Information from November 4, 2025 ——
—— Original Message from November 3, 2025 ——
Hello Northwood Families,
This is a message with information that was brought to our attention this afternoon.
Our recent water sampling, conducted at five different locations throughout the district, identified two samplings within the building where lead levels exceeded the action threshold of 15 micrograms per liter. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has directed us to distribute the attached public notice and maintain it in place until the issue is resolved.
The DNR advises that drinking water from the affected sources not be consumed until corrective actions are complete and monitoring ended. Some of our drinking fountains are equipped with filters certified under NSF Standards 42 and 53 for lead reduction, and water from those fountains remains safe for drinking but we will be providing stand-alone drinking coolers with bottled water for students. The water continues to be safe for all other uses (e.g., handwashing, cleaning).
Per DNR guidance, we will be conducting immediate follow-up testing to compare results and confirm next steps. We will also be exploring the cause and potential remedies, which may include flushing the system, replacing specific plumbing fixtures, or implementing treatment processes similar to those used by municipal water systems.
Here's a link with additional information: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water#getinto
In addition to this message, we are also posting this notice throughout the building and on our website.
We will keep you posted on further developments. If you have any questions, please contact the District office.
Thank you.
