What is happening at Kennedy High?
WCCUSD shut down the high school campus "out of an abundance of caution"after tetrachloroethylene was found to be present.
The clear, non-flammable synthetic liquid chemical was once used for dry cleaning fabrics and is a metal degreaser.
State officials say there is "no immediate" public health risk.
Exposure can cause dizziness, headaches, eye and respiratory irritation and sleepiness. It is considered a potential carcinogen.
This story was updated on Aug. 4 to include newly released details.
WCCUSD has scheduled a public meeting to discuss the closure of Kennedy High School after a potentially dangerous chemical called tetrachloroethylene was found in the soil on campus.
The meeting will be held Thur., Aug. 6 at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, at 6:30 p.m.
The campus was shut down Monday, WCCUSD said in a statement sent that afternoon, explaining that preliminary testing showed traces of the liquid chemical, which is part of a class of chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCS), compounds that can easily turn into a gas. The district said the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), which directed them to do the testing, told them that based on the initial results, there is “no immediate risk” to health and safety.
“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,” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton wrote in an email to the community.
The city of Richmond also has closed the Richmond Swim Center that’s located on the campus, to be in alignment with the district, and says swim programs will be moved to the Plunge at 1 East Richmond Ave. An updated pool schedule will be released soon.
WCCUSD Kennedy meeting
What: West Contra Costa Unified School District officials will meet with the community to discuss the Kennedy High campus closure.
When: Thur., Aug. 6, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza
Cotton said further testing is needed to verify that it is safe for students and staff to be on campus. The school year is set to begin in about two weeks. Currently the only people who would normally be on campus now are those in certain athletic programs. WCCUSD is looking for alternative places for players for conditioning and practice, district officials told Richmondside.
Tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, is a manufactured, clear, nonflammable liquid chemical with a sweet, ether-like odor. The chemical was commonly used in dry cleaning (up until about 2023) and is used in metal degreasing. It can also be found in some consumer goods such as water repellants, and it is among hundreds of chemicals known to be present at the toxic Zeneca site, about a mile from the school near the bay.
DTSC spokesperson Russ Edmondson confirmed to Richmondside that the chemical was found in the soil and they are investigating its source. The next step is to determine whether it is present in the air inside the buildings. He did not say how long the testing will take.
Most exposure happens when someone breathes air containing PCE vapor. At high concentrations it can cause dizziness, headaches, sleepiness, eye or respiratory irritation, and changes in mood or coordination, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It’s also considered a potential carcinogen.
A portion of the Kennedy campus was demolished in 2025 as part of a $280 million renovation that is set to be completed by early 2029. WCCUSD spokesperson Liz Sanders told Richmondside, however, that the construction itself isn’t the source of the chemical.
“WCCUSD tested for PCE upon receiving a communication from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) suggesting that the District do so, and the District immediately moved forward with this testing,” Sanders told Richmondside by email.
Richmond is home to a number of toxic sites, including the former Omo’s Fabric Dry Cleaners, about 1.2 miles from Kennedy, where in the 2000s state investigators found PCE use had contaminated groundwater at the Miraflores housing development, located about 1,000 feet to the southwest. PCE vapors from polluted soil and groundwater can move into buildings, contaminate the indoor air and impact health. The building’s owners were fined more than $100,000 in 2025 after failing to adequately clean up the property.
Cotton said WCCUSD is working with the city of Richmond and other stakeholders to determine what to do if the campus isn’t found to be safe by the start of school, which is Aug. 18.
“We recognize the urgency of this situation and that this is a concerning update as the start of the school year is rapidly approaching,” Cotton said. “We want to assure our community and staff that we will continue operating swiftly, transparently, and with the utmost care for the health and safety of all of our students and staff.”
As of Tuesday, the district planned to meet with teachers this afternoon and would hold a public meeting Thur., Aug. 6 and a student meeting on Aug. 11. Further details about the meeting locations were not immediately available.
This site also houses the Richmond Swim Complex, operated by the City of Richmond. That facility was also closed today due to this discovery. I haven’t seen any information about that shared from City of Richmond yet.
Hi Allison, The city did post that on Facebook, and we updated this story.
Now that sites at the upstream side (Miraflores) and downstream side (Kennedy) of the Park Plaza neighborhood have been found to have PCE I wonder if DTSC will require the responsible parties for the two suspected source sites of this chemical to pay for comprehensive soil testing throughout the entire neighborhood.
This has the potential to affect a lot of properties.
Isn’t it trichloroethylene? the TCE that is. Never heard of tetrachloroethylene, or if that molecule is possible. Ask a real chemist (I’m just a simple biochemist).
The other solvent mentioned PCE is perchloroethylene.
These chemicals tend to dissolve the insulation in your nervous system. There’s nothing quite like the ravings of a guy who has been exposed to TCE and PCE for a while.
Hi Richard, The district used the term “tetrachloroethylene” but certainly more details could be shared tonight. Apparently it is also referred to as PERC but PCE seems related to drycleaning.
PERC is shoptalk for perchloroethylene. It has four chlorine atoms substituted for four hydrogen atoms on ethylene. You’d think that would be called tetrachloroethylene but it’s called perchloroethylene, meaning it’s thoroughly substituted through and through with the Latin prefix “per-” as in persist and permeate and permanent ; permanently persistently chlorinated to the max. Note that trichloroethylene has but three such chlorinations. Still cuts grease like a champ.
Reminds me of DDT — diCHLORO diphenyl triCHLOROethane. Those chlorine atoms the chemists stick on an organic molecule so un-naturally somehow mimic neurotransmitters and just totally screw up a nervous system, whether it’s ours or an insect’s.
The Readership no doubt is aware that DDT is the problem at the Heckathorn Superfund site over by Regatta Boulevard. It’s not as well known or well established that there’s a problem at the site across from Brickyard Cove next to Richmond Yacht Club and Ferry Point with TCE. Strange how developers lose their taste for developing the place after they sample the soil. Those chlorinated organics are hell on wheels.