PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Students at C.W. Henry elementary school in West Mount Airy did not have class on Monday. Instead, students and their parents were invited to “let out primal screams of frustration” during an “emergency” picnic organized by the PTA.
In a letter to parents over the weekend, the School District of Philadelphia said damaged asbestos was found in the plaster ceilings in the first-floor hallway, and C.W. Henry would temporarily close.
The removal process will take two weeks.
While the kids played at the Fairmount Park picnic, parents discussed “how to get through the next few weeks.”
“Not everyone is working from home anymore. Parents are trying to coordinate, like: I’ll take your kid for one day; you take my kid for one day. What is different now, as opposed to when all the schools were closed, is there aren’t care centers that you can bring your kids to,” said Janet Martin, who has children in first and fifth grade.
“These buildings are over 100 years old. And I wish that it had been discovered while the schools were closed. I wish they could wait until the summer to rectify this,” Martin said.
June 13 is the last scheduled day of classes in the district, leaving less than two months to wrap up the school year.
“This is going to be real disruptive,” she said.
Students will begin virtual learning on Tuesday and continue remotely through at least May 5. Officials have not said whether students will return to the school building or use an alternate location or continue virtual learning after that date. The district expects to update parents later this week.
School district spokesperson Monique Braxton said free breakfasts and lunches will still be available for students during the asbestos remediation. Parents and students can pick up meals and Chromebooks at Henry H. Houston on 7300 Rural Lane in Philadelphia between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. For the rest of the virtual learning period, meals will be available for pickup between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The latest findings come after the discovery of damaged asbestos in several other district schools. C.W. Henry, one of the oldest school buildings in the district, is the fifth in Philadelphia to be closed this year because of asbestos concerns. Building 21, Frankford High School, and Mitchell Elementary School are still closed. Mastery Simon Gratz Charter High School was closed, but it reopened in March.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers called the findings “upsetting, disturbing and emblematic of the urgent need to resolve this facilities crisis.”
Principal Ty Ross says there’s a contingency being put into place.
“We don’t want this to happen, but we are in the process of forming a relocation team, which will consist of administrators, teachers, community teachers, parents and district officials — if it should come to that point,” he said.
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