Mendota Elementary School

4002 School Road, Madison, WI 53704

Total Students: Unknown
TESTING PRIORITY: LOW
ABSTRACT: Mendota Elementary was built in 1948 and made out of brick, metals, and possibly
contains lead paint. The school and its garden are also in close proximity to major roads built prior to the
phasing out of leaded gasoline, which could mean that there are at least background level of lead in the
soil. However, because the garden uses mitigation methods such as raised beds and imported compost,
this site is a low priority to test.
GARDEN CHARACTERISTICS
Usually if a garden is in close proximity to a building where lead paint has been used or if it is close to a
road/parking lot, there may be reason to believe that lead would be present in the soil. However, since
raised beds are being used, it is unlikely that lead would be present unless any amount of soil in the beds
was taken from the same area.
Garden type: Vegetables, herbs, sunflowers
When established: 2011
Size: 40 feet by 40 feet
Location on school grounds: Southwest corner of school grounds
Soil type/soil origins: Compost brought in from Dane County Compost Site
Mitigation used: 4 pine-raised beds, 4 synthetic raised beds
Has soil been tested: Information unknown
NEARBY LAND USE
Major Roads: Northport Drive, School Road
Mendota Elementarys garden is approximately 650 feet from Northport drive, 245 feet from School
Road, and 600 feet from industrial railroad tracks. Otherwise, the surrounding area is residential.
Northport Drive, School Road, and the railroad tracks were all built prior to 1937, which could be reason
for concern regarding the soil lead concentrations in the area because it is likely that cars/trains using
leaded gasoline were driving on these roads until leaded gasoline was phased out in the mid-1970s.
PAST SITE USE
Before the school was built in 1948, the land the school is built on and the surrounding areas were used as
agricultural land. Around the time the school was built, the area transitioned from farmland to residential
use. If homes in the immediate area contained lead paint usually homes built prior to 1970 and were
demolished or renovated, there is a chance that lead may be present in the soil.
CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATIONS
Information on the construction and renovation of Mendota Elementary is currently unavailable.
BUILDING MATERIALS

Extensive information about the building materials used in the construction of Mendota Elementary is
currently unavailable. However, it is known that the building is made out of brick and metal materials.
Also, it can be inferred that lead paint could have been used in the building since it was built before lead
paint was phased out, and most paints used at the time contained some amount of lead.