The Philly school board is poised to settle a federal investigation over asbestos management
This is the second time the board has said it would consider such an agreement with the United States Department of Justice. Philadelphia has a complicated history of environmental issues in schools.
The Philadelphia School District, which recently revealed it has been under investigation by the United States Department of Justice over its management of asbestos in school buildings, appears poised to move forward with a settlement.
The school board, scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon, updated its agenda Wednesday to reflect a new agenda item considering “a proposed agreement between The School District of Philadelphia and the United States Department of Justice.”
No further details were given about the investigation or the settlement.
This is the second time the board has said it would consider such an agreement; the first time, in May, an agenda item was posted, but never voted on.
Board president Reginald Streater said at the time that the last-minute switch came because “we were informed just before this meeting that the Department of Justice is not ready to proceed today and additional review may be required.”
A history of environmental issues
Philadelphia’s old school buildings are no stranger to environmental issues. Several district buildings have temporarily closed due to asbestos hazards in recent years.
Under the federal law, if asbestos is present in a school, that building must be inspected every six months. Every school building must be checked every three years.
The district first said it was years behind on federal asbestos investigations in 2023. Officials said at the time that the failure was due to a lack of resources and personnel, and that it would likely take three years to come into compliance.