Reference this list to find out where things stand.

Asbestos has become a pervasive problem for the Philadelphia School District this academic year. Several of the citys school buildings have been temporarily shut down for remediation after officials discovered exposed toxic material so many that its hard to keep track.

Teachers say theyve lost confidence in the districts ability to manage the problem, and in January their union sued the School District in January, alleging that Superintendent William Hite repeatedly mishandled problems with asbestos, lead and mold.

For his part, Mayor Jim Kenney defended the superintendent, saying hes done a terrific job considering the condition of the aging structures that house the citys educational institutions.

Last month, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed making $1 billion available to schools across Pennsylvania to could mitigate asbestos and lead on their premises.

In Philly, the bad news started in August 2019, when it was discovered that the freshly renovated building set up to host Benjamin Franklin High School and Science Leadership Academy was full of the toxin. It took until October for the district to admit it needed time to clear the contaminated pipes. Students were temporarily relocated away from Broad and Green while a $13 million cleanup took place.

Since then, officials have discovered damaged asbestos in eight additional school buildings bringing the total number of schools affected this academic year to 10. Some of the shuttered buildings have reopened, while others have not.

To help people keep track of the situation, weve created this list as a reference. Well keep it updated throughout the year.

Address: 1482 Green St. (Spring Garden)Students: ~500First closed: SLA has been dealing with asbestos in its newly renovated building since the very beginning of the school year, then was officially vacated from its building in OctoberCurrent status: Reopened Feb. 18

Address: 550 N. Broad St. (Spring Garden)Students: ~500First closed: Same as the aforementioned SLA, since the schools share a buildingCurrent status: Reopened Feb. 18

Address: 2300 W. Cambria St. (Upper North)Students: ~500First closed: Late OctoberCurrent status: Still closed; students were relocated to a temporary building

Address: 616 N. 15th St. (Spring Garden)Students: ~900First closed: Dec. 17Current status: Reopened Jan. 2

Address: 1100 Devereaux Ave. (Northeast)Students: ~1,000First closed: Dec. 19Current status: Reopened Jan. 12

Address: 600 W. Hunting Park Ave. (North)Students: ~650First closed: Dec. 19Current status: Reopened Jan. 29

Address: 4001 L St. (Feltonville)Students: ~900First closed: Feb. 3Current status: Closed indefinitely; K-2 students were relocated to the Little School House on campus grounds, grades 3-5 to Roberto Clemente Middle School, and grades 6-8 to Grover Washington Middle School

Address: 4600 Rosehill St. (Feltonville)Students: ~500First closed: Feb. 13Current status: Still closed; students relocated to King High School

Address: 5300 Ditman St. (Wissinoming)Students: ~750First closed: Feb. 13Current status: Was supposed to reopen on Wednesday, but now SDP officials have pushed that date back. Students will be relocated to the Khepera Charter School building

Address: 601 Carpenter Ln. (Mount Airy)Students: ~500First closed: Feb. 20Current status: The problem was caused by a leak that damaged a pipe containing asbestos insulation in a classroom; current status is unclear

Read more from the original source:
Philly school asbestos tracker: What's closed and what's open - Billy Penn

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February 21, 2020 at 3:45 am by Mr HomeBuilder
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