Lawmakers push for more money as Philadelphia schools deal with asbestos crisis
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Lawmakers are sounding the alarm about broken and toxic schools in Philadelphia and across the state. They met at the state capital Monday afternoon demanding that safety be top priority.
Damaged asbestos forced six Philadelphia schools to close this school year.
A parent of a student at one of these schools that's preparing to reopen told CBS News Philadelphia she still has safety concerns.
Sharron Gaymon's son is a senior at Building 21 in West Oak Lane. He's been taking classes online while his school was remediated for damaged, exposed asbestos, but now the repairs are complete.
"He's excited to go back because he gets that instant gratification, he's going to get that instant feedback. He'll be back with his friends," Gaymon said.
Building 21 will reopen on Tuesday morning after being shut down for two months.
Madeleine Wright: "Do you think that Building 21 is safe to go back to?"
Gaymon: "For asbestos, yes. But I still have concerns about the safety of that building."
As Philadelphia copes with the asbestos crisis, lawmakers are pushing for more money to address broader infrastructure problems with schools here and across the Commonwealth.
"The average age of Philadelphia public schools is over 70 years of age, so there is serious disrepair and the state needs to step in," State Sen. Vincent Hughes said.
Hughes and Philadelphia councilmember Isaiah Thomas were among several lawmakers who met in Harrisburg Monday to draw attention to the need for school building repairs.
"We're asking for a $5 billion commitment just to address the facilities crisis alone over the next five years," Thomas said.
The money would go toward addressing damaged asbestos, lead-based paint and lack of air conditioning.
It could also enable some districts to demolish and rebuild their schools, something Gaymon believes is sorely needed.
"Philadelphia is not building new schools," Gaymon said. "They're not building new elementary school buildings. There has to be a comprehensive plan to fully remediate and fix every single school."
Local officials hope there will be money to do more repairs during summer vacation.
