Another Philly school is closing because of asbestos

Another Philadelphia school is closing because of damaged asbestos.

Asbestos was discovered above ceiling tiles on the first floor at C.W. Henry Elementary in Mount Airy. The school will be closed Monday and then will shift to virtual instruction at least through May 5, principal Ty Ross said in an email sent to the school community Saturday.

Henry is the fifth Philadelphia school to close because of the environmental hazard this school year. Building 21, Frankford High, and Mitchell Elementary are still closed; Mastery Simon Gratz Charter High School, whose building is owned by the district, was closed and reopened in March.

» READ MORE: What to know about the ongoing asbestos issues in Philly schools

Like the other schools’ asbestos, Henry’s damage was discovered in material that had been erroneously categorized as “non-asbestos containing” for decades.

“In the wake of recent inspections that revealed incomplete or inaccurate records about plaster containing asbestos in Building 21, the district has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability regarding the facts about our buildings and what we are doing to improve environmental conditions at facilities across the district,” Ross wrote.

Henry, on Carpenter Lane, was built in 1908.

The closure is particularly personal to school board president Reginald Streater, whose children attend Henry. Streater, in a statement, said the closure underscores the need to “continue to put our collective arms around all things school district.”

Streater said the school system must “continue striving to be an ever-transparent partner while seeking/advocating to maintain the appropriate resources that are needed to keep up with the district’s many ongoing obligations under the law and to the public.”

The board president said the environmental woes are directly tied to decades of disinvestment, and asked “for grace as we continue to tackle this issue that has been a hundred years in the making.” Streater said the board has increased resources devoted to environmental remediation and will continue to do so.

Most of the district’s 300 buildings were constructed when asbestos was a common building material. Undamaged, it’s not dangerous, but when it breaks apart, it can release potentially toxic fibers into the air.

The district’s inspector general is now investigating the botched handling of the situation at Building 21, the first district school closed this year because of damaged asbestos, on March 1. The school system initially relocated Building 21 staff and students to Strawberry Mansion, but parents fought back against that site.

The West Oak Lane school’s students are still learning virtually, though seniors can report to Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church a few days a week. Building 21 families were just notified that if air testing reports check out, students will return to their Limekiln Pike school May 1.

» READ MORE: Two Philly schools closed by asbestos have dates to return to in-person learning; another remains virtual

Mitchell, a K-8 in Southwest Philadelphia, is closed for the rest of the year; its students will relocate to McMichael in West Philadelphia, on May 1, and are learning virtually until then.

Frankford High, which has more than 900 students, is also virtual and closed for the rest of the year. Officials have said they are still exploring alternate sites for in-person learning.