Kensington High School in Philadelphia has been closed due to asbestos concerns, forcing over 400 students and 90 staff members to relocate to Austin Meehan Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia.

Asbestos Discovery

The issue surfaced as crews installed a new HVAC unit, and an asbestos inspector found concerns during demolition of the old system. Arthur Steinberg, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, expressed relief that the problem was identified but wished there was better communication throughout the process.

Remediation crews were at the school cleaning and removing items, and the district said cleanup and air quality testing will continue. The school is expected to reopen in January.

Response and Next Steps

Steinberg called the move an inconvenience, citing difficulties with logistics and travel. The district said closer schools did not meet space or accessibility needs. The city controller is now going to do a performance review, an audit of the district, to see where procedures failed and how to improve them moving forward.

Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.