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The senator has also urged President Joe Biden to declare a federal emergency and authorize \"immediate relief\" for all impacted families and to expedite the cleanup.

Missouri Rep. Cori Bush has also demanded an \"urgent response\" to the emergency.

\"The federal government is responsible for this waste, and we need answers from them on their plan to immediately begin cleanup of Jana Elementary and the surrounding areas so our kids' health and education is not further disrupted by the presence of toxic chemicals,\" she said in a statement earlier this week. \"Inaction is not an option. The safety of our children and our communities must come first.\"

The Missouri Coalition for the Environment has called on the school district to \"act swiftly to secure a comprehensive cleanup of all radioactive bomb waste at the school.\"

\"In the interim, they must provide parents with options to continue students' education with minimal disruption,\" the group said. \"We are approaching 80 years since this nuclear bomb waste has been allowed to plague our neighborhoods.\"

What's next for frustrated, worried families

Some 400 students attend Jana Elementary. Amid the remediation, the school will transition to virtual learning starting on Monday, with plans to redistrict students into other schools by Nov. 28 \"if feasible,\" the school district said.

Two pre-K classrooms will be transferred to another elementary school to continue in-person learning.

\"We recognize that you are being faced with a situation not created by anyone in this District, over which you have no control, and that this is causing a disruption to our students' education and school climate. For that we sincerely apologize,\" the school district said in a statement to families. \"Please know that Hazelwood School District will work hand-in-hand with you to provide the support that is needed as we transition through these very difficult times.\"

\"PHOTO:
Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP
PHOTO: "We don't blame you all, but we want to hear what's going on because these are our babies," said Patrice Strickland, during the public portion of a Hazelwood School Board meeting on Oct. 18, 2022, in Florissant, Mo.
>

Families are now scrambling to figure out next steps. During a packed meeting with the Hazelwood School Board on Tuesday, parents expressed frustration with the district.

\"Just communicate with us,\" said Patrice Strickland, who said she has two children who have been attending school virtually since August after learning about the contamination. \"We don't blame you all, but we want to hear what's going on because these are our babies.

\"Help us to make the right decisions for us, and we can't make the right decisions if we don't know what is going on,\" she continued.

Former students and families of students who now attend the school also expressed concerns for their health during the meeting.

Kimberly Anderson told the board she had bloodwork done for her three grandchildren who attend the school to test their lead levels.

\"This can cause long-term effects with children,\" she said.

Others want to find a way to keep the community intact amid redistricting plans.

\"Our kids should not be strung out through the district unless there was absolutely nothing suitable,\" Jana Elementary PTA president Ashley Bernaugh said. \"You cannot tear our community apart to punish us for something that our kids have no burden for.\"

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