This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
Updated on Jan. 6: According to a District press release, Carnell Elementary School will remain closed until Monday, Jan. 13. All staff should report to the Little School House for the remainder of the week, Jan. 6 through 10.
Grab-and-go breakfast and lunch meals will be provided to students throughout this week between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the school.
Abatement work and other minor work will be completed, and air testing and cleaning in the building will also be conducted before students and staff re-occupy the building. Results of the air quality tests will be available on the District’s website at www.philasd.org/capitalprograms/healthy-schools/.
Laura H. Carnell Elementary School, where damage to asbestos-containing pipe insulation was found several days before winter break, will remain closed on Monday, Jan. 6, as abatement work and testing continue.
It was previously announced that Alexander McClure Elementary School in North Philadelphia, where damaged insulation was also found, will remain closed through next week and reopen on Monday, Jan. 13.
District officials were planning to update Carnell parents at a meeting Friday afternoon. A meeting with McClure parents was held Thursday.
As with other instances when potentially hazardous exposed asbestos was discovered in schools, testing for safe levels of asbestos will be completed before students and staff return to the building.
Carnell staff will report to the Little School House on Monday. McClure staff members have been reporting to nearby Roberto Clemente Middle School.
Results of the air quality tests will be available on the Healthy Schools page of the District’s website while general updates are available here.
Six schools have been closed or relocated since the beginning of the school year due to the discovery of potentially hazardous loose asbestos in the buildings.