On August 13, the School District of Philadelphia announced that Kensington High School won't reopen on time due to asbestos. During the demolition of the school's old HVAC system, an asbestos inspector raised concerns about exposure risks.
Now, less than 2 weeks before the school year starts, more than 400 students and 90 staff members are being relocated. Kensington High students and staff will spend the fall at the vacant Austin Meehan Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia, about 8 miles away.
"[I]t's something that should have never occurred," said Arthur Steinberg, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.
The last-minute relocation comes just over a year after the Philadelphia School District became the first school district in U.S. history to face criminal charges for asbestos violations — raising serious questions about whether the district's federal compliance agreement is actually protecting students and staff.
At Sokolove Law, our mesothelioma law firm has helped thousands of families get justice for asbestos-related diseases. See if we may be able to fight for you.
What Happened at Kensington High School?
Crews were installing a new heating and cooling system at Kensington High this summer when an asbestos inspector identified a concern about the demolition of the old system, according to a letter sent to families.
Work on the HVAC project stopped immediately. Remediation crews began cleaning the building and removing items, and the district says they're working with the city's Air Management Services office and the teachers' union to test air quality.
Here's what the disruption means for families:
- Students and staff will attend school at the vacant Austin Meehan building, which closed in 2022, through at least the end of the calendar year.
- Kensington High School isn't expected to reopen until January 2027.
- The district said closer schools didn't meet the space or accessibility needs of Kensington's students.
- Details on schedules and transportation were still forthcoming when the move was announced.
Asbestos becomes dangerous when it's damaged or disturbed, allowing microscopic fibers to be released into the air — which is exactly what can happen when old building systems are torn out.
The fact that the concern surfaced during demolition, rather than in a survey completed before the work began, is part of why the teachers' union says the situation deserves scrutiny.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has their own industrial hygienist monitoring the situation, and Steinberg said the city controller plans to conduct a performance review and audit of the district.
A Test of the Philadelphia School District Asbestos Agreement
The Kensington relocation doesn't exist in a vacuum. In June 2025, federal prosecutors criminally charged the School District of Philadelphia with violating the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) — the first time any U.S. school district had faced criminal asbestos charges.
To avoid prosecution, the district entered a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) requiring roughly 5 years of federal oversight, biannual asbestos inspections of all school buildings, prompt repairs, and detailed compliance reports.
Kensington High School was one of the 31 school buildings with known asbestos problems described in that agreement. According to WHYY, federal prosecutors noted damaged asbestos at Kensington High in 2019, including an imminent hazard, that the district later reported as fixed.
Now, a fresh asbestos emergency at the same school has forced hundreds of students out of their building. If the district failed to meet their inspection or reporting obligations, prosecutors could potentially revive the criminal charges.
The city controller's audit may help answer whether required checks of asbestos in Philadelphia schools were skipped or simply didn't work.
The Health Risks of Asbestos in Schools
For most of the 20th century, asbestos-containing products were widely used to build schools in Pennsylvania and across the country. Nearly 90% of Philadelphia public school buildings are known to contain asbestos, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can become lodged in the body and cause serious illnesses 20 to 50 years later, including:
- Mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen
- Lung cancer
- Other asbestos-related diseases
Because of that long delay, teachers and other school employees, including janitors, custodians, maintenance workers, and facilities staff, exposed decades ago may only now be getting sick. Even short-term asbestos exposure can increase the risk of serious disease.
The danger isn't hypothetical: In 2020, the district paid an $850,000 Philadelphia schools asbestos settlement to a 51-year-old veteran teacher who was diagnosed with cancer after 28 years in South Philadelphia schools.
"People sometimes assume that asbestos is a thing of the past. But the reality is that asbestos can trigger lung cancer or mesothelioma up to 50 years or more after first exposure."
– Ricky LeBlanc, Managing Attorney at Sokolove Law
What Parents and Staff Can Do Now
Families and school employees don't have to simply take the district's word that a building is safe and that asbestos in Philadelphia schools isn't a threat.
Before Kensington High reopens, parents and staff can:
- Ask for the clearance documentation, including air sampling results, the lab that performed the testing, and the criteria used to declare the building safe to occupy
- Request the union hygienist's findings as an independent check on the district's own testing
- Watch for the city controller's audit, which may reveal whether required inspections happened on time
- Keep records of school communications, relocation notices, and any time spent in the affected building — documentation that can matter years later, since asbestos-related diseases take decades to develop
If you spent time working or learning in older school buildings, it may also be worth checking whether your school appears in our asbestos job site database, since knowing where exposure may have occurred can be important for protecting your legal rights.
Get Justice for Asbestos-Related Diseases
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma or lung cancer, you may be eligible for financial compensation that can help cover medical bills, lost wages, and more.
At Sokolove Law, our mesothelioma lawyers have recovered more than $5.5 Billion total for victims of asbestos exposure nationwide.
There are no out-of-pocket costs to work with us, and we'll come to you if you have a case. From there, we'll work to prove how you were exposed and pursue compensation on your behalf.
Call (800) 647-3434 now or fill out our contact form to take the first step toward justice. Our firm is prepared to fight for you.
