Update: Kennedy High students may start school year in temporary location after toxic chemical was found on campus
on August 4, 2026
West Contra Costa Unified School District is considering temporarily relocating Kennedy High School students after closing the campus Monday because a toxic chemical was detected in “underground vapors,” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said Tuesday.
School is on summer break and set to restart on Aug. 18.
WCCUS will hold a town hall meeting with Richmond and state Department of Toxic Substance Control officials from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Richmond Auditorium. It will be live-streamed on YouTube.
Cotton said the decision to close the campus was taken after the district received preliminary test results on July 31 that detected levels of tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, “underneath the site.” She said the school board approved the tests on July 15. She did not specify where or how much of the chemical was found.
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control told Richmond Confidential that PCE was found in “soil gas” on the Kennedy campus. It did not say what prompted the initial test.
Cotton said the DTSC said there was no immediate risk to health and safety, but further testing was needed to verify that the campus is safe for students and others.
“At this time, out of an abundance of caution, WCCUSD is making the immediate determination that all staff and students are not allowed to enter the Kennedy High School campus until additional testing is completed,” Cotton said in the email.
The EPA classifies tetrachloroethylene or PCE, as a likely carcinogen. It has been used in dry-cleaning and metal degreasing. Long-term exposure in the air or drinking water can have adverse kidney, liver, immune system and neurological effects. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)
Banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for consumer use in 2024, PCE is an industrial solvent used in dry cleaning and manufacturing. Long-term exposure poses serious health risks to the kidney, liver and immune system, and the EPA categories it as a likely carcinogen.
DTSC is investigating the source of PCE in the soil and also is testing the air inside the school.
“Public safety is our top priority, and additional testing is being done to evaluate any safety concerns in the buildings at Kennedy High School,” DTSC said in a statement.
Kennedy has been under a major renovation for the past year, with work scheduled to be completed in 2029.
The Richmond Swim Center, which is on the Kennedy campus and open to the public, also has been closed, “out of an abundance of caution.”
Mayor Eduardo Martinez issued a news release Tuesday, saying his office is monitoring the situation. Contra Costa Health also is monitoring it and says if any health concerns arise, it will communicate potential impacts to affected communities.
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