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5d ago

Frankford High School Reopens After $30 Million Asbestos Remediation

Students and staff are returning under federal court monitoring as part of a deferred prosecution agreement after a five-year asbestos probe.

A photograph of a line of people standing behind a blue ribbon and in front of a large stone school building.
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Overview

  • The district invested nearly $30 million to remove asbestos and install protective paneling, new HVAC units, shatter-resistant windows, LED lighting and smartboards throughout the Gothic Revival building.
  • Frankford closed in April 2023 after a comprehensive review uncovered asbestos, prompting two months of virtual instruction and relocations to an annex and a middle school campus.
  • In June, the School District of Philadelphia entered a deferred prosecution agreement—the first of its kind for a U.S. district—subjecting it to five years of federal oversight for asbestos-management failures.
  • Superintendent Tony Watlington says the district has rebuilt its asbestos program, tripled its environmental-management investment and now conducts inspections twice a year.
  • Despite the reopening, some veteran teachers remain concerned about residual hazards, and at least one former educator has sued the district alleging asbestos-related illness.