PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After initial concerns that Frankford High School would stay closed for all of next school year because of asbestos, the district says most students will be returning for classes this fall. For Frankford students, it’s no doubt a welcome about-face by the school district.
Frankford students just finished a school year learning remotely after damaged asbestos was found in their building in April. Superintendent Tony Watlington said, initially, that the asbestos might be too extensive to allow students back in the building.
However, at Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting, Watlington announced that students in the upper grades would be going back, after all.
“We will, on the first day of school, welcome back 10th, 11th and 12th grade students to in-person learning in the newly renovated wing of Frankford High School.”
Access has been sealed off to the “Old Wing,” where the asbestos was found in April, and Watlington told the school board it will remain closed.
“Remediation work at Frankford will continue through the fall and will take place after hours when students and staff are not in the building,” he said.
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Ninth graders will be bused to Roberto Clemente Middle School, where there is unused space on the third floor.
The school board also received a report on the district’s troubled admissions lottery for criteria-based schools. The report from consulting firm Accenture said that, while the district adhered to the rules of its lottery for qualified students, it had failed to effectively communicate the procedure to parents.
The firm suggested creating a process to give spots in schools with open seats to qualified students.
“Confusion came into play after the fact. It was sort of ‘Once I submitted my application, it was like a black hole,’” said Accenture’s Nahomie Louis.
Board member Leticia Egea-Hinton said whatever changes are made to the selection process, parents need plenty of notice.
“I just want to make sure that parents know far enough in advance what’s going to be happening. I also recognize everyone will not be happy.”
With the report in hand, Watlington said he would consider the firm’s recommendations and propose a new selection process by July 30.
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