High School to Shut Down for Asbestos Removal

will be closed from 5 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 15 for asbestos removal in older parts of the building, according to assistant principal Gil Moscatello.

This has become an annual occurrence, Moscatello said, but for this particular project, the school must be closed to the public as a safety precaution per state regulations.

“[Asbestos] is in just about any school that was built in the ‘50s or ‘60s,” Moscatello said. “It’s not harmful, and we have the school’s air inspected every year to make sure we’re fine.”

The areas to have asbestos removed over the weekend are in sections called pipe chases, where plumbing goes between bathrooms. Some of the joints in those areas, Moscatello said, have asbestos material that will be taken away.

Because of the size of the pipe chase area–24 inches wide–the state requires that the facility be shut down to complete the work.

The last time the school was shut down to complete this type of work was during the construction of the new wing at the high school, which opened in 2009.

An air-quality monitor will be on-site during the removal to make sure conditions are adequate for faculty and students taking part in summer activities to return to the school. There is a slight chance the project may not be finished by Monday morning, and the building would then be re-opened Tuesday at 6 a.m.