University Of Pennsylvania Contributing $100M To Philly School District To Deal With Asbestos, Lead In Schools
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) — The University of Pennsylvania has announced that it will contribute $100 million to the School District of Philadelphia over the next decade to deal with environmental hazards such as asbestos and lead in school buildings. Officials said the contribution of $10 million each year for 10 years represents that largest private contribution to the school district in its history.
"It will go a long way in accelerating the District's aggressive environmental remediation work. I also hope it will inspire other institutions to follow Penn's lead. It takes all of us working together—government, business, nonprofit, and philanthropy—to tackle our most pressing challenges and ensure our kids have access to great schools in every neighborhood," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement.
President Amy Gutmann said officials were proud to partner with the city and school district "to significantly improve the learning environment for Philadelphia's schoolchildren in a way that will have a long-lasting impact on the health, safety, and wellbeing of our entire city."
Officials said the school district has since 2018 fully stabilized lead paint in 54 elementary schools, completed work to certify an additional 25 schools as lead-safe and invested more than $23 million to complete asbestos-related projects.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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