PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Frankford High School will reopen for students next week after asbestos forced it to close for more than two years.
After a $30 million project to remove damaged asbestos and upgrade lighting and flooring in the 109-year-old building, the Philadelphia School District cut a ribbon Monday to signal that all of Frankford High School is open again.
The school’s 900 students have been displaced since April 2023, with freshmen attending Clemente Middle School and 10th through 12th graders crowding into makeshift classrooms in Frankford’s annex. Now, everyone can be back together.
“It was an extremely difficult time for our school community. And I want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible resilience you’ve all shown,” said Principal Dr. Michael Calderone.
Frankford High now has air conditioning, new ceilings and classroom smartboards.
Superintendent Tony Watlington says routine inspection reports from Frankford and all schools are now posted on the district’s website.
“I absolutely want to reassure parents that we’ve rebuilt our asbestos management program, which has been a long-standing, decades issue here in the school district,” he said.