Sign up for Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system.After a $17 million HVAC renovation and nearly two years of construction, Kensington High students and staff were hoping this school year would get off to a smooth start.Instead, they were hit with a familiar Philly school problem: asbestos, a toxic substance that can cause breathing problems and lung disease when it deteriorates and is inhaled.During renovations at Kensington High School this summer, an asbestos inspector identified concerns about the demolition of the old HVAC system, Deputy Superintendent of Operations Oz Hill said in a letter sent to the school community last week. To remove asbestos and clean the building, the district will relocate students and staff to the unoccupied Austin Meehan Middle School building seven miles away for the remainder of 2026. “We know this is disappointing news, but the health and safety of our students, staff, and workers is our first priority,” Hill said. He added that the district looked for buildings closer to Kensington, but none were suitable for the school’s more than 400 students and 90 staff members.Kensington is one of many century-old district buildings where asbestos must be constantly monitored and occasionally remediated. That process is time-consuming and expensive, but failing to do so can create hazardous health conditions. In recent years, district leaders have pledged in public and in court to improve asbestos monitoring and ensure quick remediation. Still, asbestos remains a problem, raising concerns that the district isn’t doing enough to keep school buildings safe.“This is a repeat of the playbook we’ve seen at other schools,” said Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Arthur Steinberg during a press conference Monday.Over the past few years, district leaders have temporarily closed a handful of schools due to asbestos, including Ben Franklin High School and SLA Beeber. They’ve also shut down parts of other buildings to conduct asbestos remediation. “Unfortunately for the staff and the kids in the community, it’s going to be a chaotic year,” Steinberg said.Last year, the Department of Justice criminally charged the district in a first-of-its-kind case, finding that it failed to conduct proper asbestos monitoring between 2015 and 2023. To defer prosecution, the district agreed to inspect buildings every six months and regularly repair damage. Superintendent Tony Watlington has separately said his facilities plan, which includes closing 17 schools and upgrading nearly 170 others, will ensure all students attend classes in high-quality buildings. But the district does not yet have the funds to complete all the renovations Watlington is seeking. In the meantime, nearly 300 school buildings have asbestos that must be monitored.District promises support for displaced Kensington High studentsThe district did not respond to questions about how the asbestos at Kensington was damaged or what oversight was in place. But Steinberg said district officials briefed him and other union personnel on the matter and allowed them to inspect the building.Steinberg said district officials told him that a contractor who was not certified or trained in asbestos removal or remediation demolished an area containing asbestos. The contractor did not follow asbestos removal best practices, which means the materials could have contaminated several parts of the school.“A lot was being done quickly,” said Jerry Roseman, the PFT’s director of environmental science, who inspected the damage. “It needed more careful management, knowing there’s asbestos throughout the building.”The district will provide transportation for all Kensington students to Meehan, Kensington Principal José E. Lebrón told families in a letter over the weekend. It will also transition the lab spaces for Kensington’s marketing, computer technology, and computer engineering programs to the new building. District officials also said they will create a school safety plan and share it with families ahead of the first day of school next week.“Please rest assured that our dedicated team has been working around the clock to create a safe, vibrant, and welcoming space where our students can thrive from day one,” Lebrón said.Rebecca Redelmeier is a reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia. She writes about public schools, early childhood education, and issues that affect students, families, and educators across Philadelphia. Contact Rebecca at rredelmeier@chalkbeat.org.
