ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Public Schools are replacing chain-link fencing with more environmentally friendly material.

Columbia Elementary was built in 1929 according to the school’s website. It was once destroyed in a tornado, and restored to what it is today, but old buildings like the school’s often have fences that contain poisonous lead. So those are being replaced with more environmentally friendly materials.

The Board of Education voted to remove and replace of around 6.2 miles of fencing across St. Louis Public Schools. Fences containing lead will be replaced with an environmentally safe vinyl coated galvanized steel.

It’s a project made possible by a combination of state and federal money. It’s all thanks to House Bill 20 and the federal government’s elementary and secondary school emergency relief fund. The project costs $2.1 million. It was championed by Senator Steve Roberts, and representative Lakeysha Bosley.

Since 2007, SLPS has been one of the nation’s leading school districts in identifying, testing, and preventing lead hazards within and around school buildings. The district’s homegrown “Lead Hazard Reduction Program,” is the only plan of its kind in Missouri designed to test, train, and mitigate lead. It was recently adopted as the new standard for the state of Missouri.

School Board President Toni Cousins shared that the fence discussion was linked to conversations around the lead water bill.

Back in April 2020, the board approved a contract to provide lead renovation, repair, and painting services for wrought iron fences at 33 St. Louis schools at a cost of $308,000, and that work was completed in July 2020. It included removing and replacing any contaminated dirt around the fencing, cleaning away paint chips, and painting over the iron.

The groundbreaking for the fence installation at Columbia Elementary is set for 10:00 a.m.