PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Students at a West Oak Lane high school will learn virtually for the rest of the week after inspectors found asbestos in the building.
The discovery was made Tuesday during a previously scheduled Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) inspection at Building 21 high school, Principal Brianne Macnamara shared in a message to families.
The inspectors found damaged plaster and paint in the auditorium balcony and two stairwells. They confirmed that the material contained asbestos.
“The presence of asbestos is not itself a danger; however, when it is disturbed and the fibers become airborne, it must be managed,” Macnamara wrote.
The school closed off the area to students and staff during Wednesday’s previously scheduled early dismissal. Officials then decided to go virtual for the remainder of the school week so crews could work on repairs.
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City inspectors will be present and monitor the air quality when the work is finished to make sure the area is safe for students and staff to return.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan, in a statement, said he heard directly from Superintendent Tony Watlington about the situation and was “grateful for not only his outreach but the District’s immediate response to this emergency.”
Jordan added the closure was a sign that they urgently need more funding and a comprehensive plan to address the facility crisis throughout the district.
“A school closing due to toxic asbestos is just one more disgraceful reminder of the impact of this neglect,” Jordan said, citing the recent Commonwealth Court ruling that found Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional.
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The district, for years, has been dealing with asbestos issues that have forced the temporary closure of a number of schools. According to the Philadelphia Controller’s Office, there have been 2,289 asbestos abatement projects in district schools since 2016.
City Council passed a bill last year that would require schools to comply with “best practices” for asbestos management before they could reopen.
The measure allows an advisory panel to make recommendations on those best practices to the managing director. District officials, however, expressed concern that panel members would not have the proper scientific or technical expertise.
The law is slated to take effect in August, but the district is challenging it in federal court.
“While we understand this law is well-intentioned … it will not make schools or our children safer,” argued School Board President Reginald Streater.
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