Milwaukee Public School leaders say they will need ’til the end of the year to clean-up the rest of its lead-tainted schools.

The city’s school district on Friday announced that it has finished lead remediation on all of its school buildings built before 1950.

“As the school year started Tuesday, 43 of the 50 elementary buildings built before 1950 were fully cleared. In the remaining seven schools, lead paint stabilization work was already completed and a limited number of spaces—typically one or two rooms in each school, including a bathroom in one case—were closed to students and staff during final cleaning and testing. Now the work is completed, and all 50 schools are cleared. The final two schools received clearances Thursday night,” MPS said in a statement.

MPS acknowledged its lead crisis last spring, after public health managers in Milwaukee said a number of kids tested positive for higher than normal lead levels.

The city’s schools spent the summer scrubbing, cleaning, and painting over the lead paint in its oldest elementary schools.

Now, MPS leaders said, they are ready to focus on other schools.

“This fall, MPS will shift its focus to 52 schools built between 1950 and 1978 that serve elementary students,” MPS’ statement added. “Work will be done outside of school hours to minimize disruptions to students and staff. The district’s goal is to complete the work by December 2025.”

MPS is not saying how many other, non-elementary school buildings may have lead problems. The district is also not saying how much this summer’s lead work cost, or how much the lead remediation this fall will cost.

“We are committed to providing safe and welcoming schools to the community. Successfully addressing lead paint issues is a critical step in this work,” Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said.

This article was originally posted by The MacIver Institute.