Asbestos cleanup continues; McClure closure extended

McClure Elementary, the Hunting Park school closed for the better part of a month to deal with the cleanup of damaged asbestos, will remain shut Monday and Tuesday.

Still, students will be engaged in learning for part of the day. District officials announced Friday night that McClure pupils “will participate in educationally focused off-site activities and field trips aligned with curriculum.”

On Monday, children will visit the Franklin Institute. On Tuesday, some will visit the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Southwest Philadelphia, others the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, and another group the National Constitution Center.

Parents will be expected to pick them up at 1:30 p.m. both days.

McClure, a K-5 school with more than 600 students, first closed in late December. Students were expected to return immediately after the winter break, but the asbestos contamination was worse than expected. Children returned to class for two days last week, but the school was abruptly closed again when new damage was found.

The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has sued the district over its failure to protect teachers and students from hazards associated with asbestos contamination.

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Asbestos problems have plagued the district throughout the 2019-20 school year. In September, a longtime district teacher’s mesothelioma diagnosis was revealed; the cancer is linked to asbestos exposure. Since then, six schools and an early childhood program have been closed, at least temporarily, by asbestos issues.

School system officials and the PFT are developing “a more comprehensive cleaning and testing plan to support the safety of the school,” the district said in a statement.