Ben Franklin High School, Science Leadership Academy To Reopen Tuesday Following Asbestos Remediation

Trang Do has the latest.

SMOOTH SAILING WIDE SNAP.SPEEDS EXACTLY AS THEY SHOULDBE.JIM, BACK TO YOU.THANK YOU, SOME SENSE OFNORMALCY WILL RETURN TOHUNDREDS EVERY PHILADELPHIASCHOOL STUDENTS DISPLACED BYASBESTOS.BEN FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL,AND SCIENCE LEADERSHIP ACADEMYWILL REOPEN THEIR DOORSTOMORROW.TRANG DO IS LIVE OUTSIDE OFTHE SCHOOL BUILDING IN SPRINGGARDEN WITH THE LATEST DETAILSTHERE, TRANG, GOOD MORNING.Reporter: HEY, GOODMORNING, JANELLE, JIM.YEP, STUDENTS AT BEN FRANKLINHAVE BEEN OUT OF THE SCHOOLBUILDING FOR MORE THAN FOURMONTHS NOW.THE DISTRICT SAYS RENOVATIONSAND REPAIRS HAVE BEENCOMPLETE.THE BUILD SOMETHING SAFE TOOCCUPY.BUT SUPERINTENDENT DOCTORWILLIAM HITE TELLS THUS ISJUST ONE BUILDING DOWN, MANYMORE TO GO.ASBESTOS AND CITY SCHOOLS IS ALONG SIMMERING ISSUE THAT'SCOME TO A HEAD IN THE2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR.DECADES, I SHOULD SAY, OFNOT DOING THE DEFERREDMAINTENANCE, NOT HAVING THERESOURCES OR REVENUE TODAY TOADDRESS CAPITOL ISSUES, THENYOU HAVE THESE THINGS THATBEGIN TO HAPPEN.SUPERINTENDENT DOCTORWILLIAM HITE SAT DOWNEXCLUSIVELY WITH "EYEWITNESSNEWS," TO DISCUSS HOW THEDISTRICT IS TACKLING SUCHSIZEABLE CRISIS HEAD ON.ROUGHLY 80% OF PHILADELPHIA'SSCHOOLS WERE BUILT BEFORE1978.CONTAIN ASBESTOS, AS WELL ASLEAD PAINT.DOCTOR HITE SAYS INSPECTIONSDONE SO FAR HAVE UN COVEREDTEN SCHOOLS WITH IMMINENTHAZARDS.THE INSPECTIONS AREWORKING, WE ARE FINDING THESEISSUES, AND WHEN WE FIND THESEISSUES WE'RE EITHER REPAIRINGTHE ISSUES AS QUICKLY ASPOSSIBLE OR IF WE CAN'T REPAIRTHEM QUICKLY WE'RE CONTAININGTHE AREAS.AS MORE THOROUGHINSPECTIONS ARE DONE, THEYEXPECT MORE SCHOOL BUILDINGSAND BUILDINGS WILL BE AFFECTEDN RESPONSE RECENTLY APPROVED$47 MILLION TO ADDRESS THEISSUE AND THE DISTRICT HASAPPEALED TO THE STATE FORHELP.WE ALSO HAVE ASKED OURFUNDERS IN HARRISBURG FORDEDICATED REVENUE, 25 MILLIONOVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO MAKEALL SCHOOLS BOTH LEAD-SAFE ANDASBESTOS SAFE.NOW, ALL STUDENTS ARE OFFTODAY BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT ISPRESIDENT'S DAY.BRENNAN FLA STUDENTS WILLRETURN TO THE SCHOOL BUILDINGBUT JAMES SULLIVAN ELEMENTARYSCHOOL STUDENT OVER ATWISSINOMING, THEY'RE BUILDINGCLOSED LAST WEEK FOR ASBESTOSCLEAN UP, THEY'LL FINDS OUTLATER TODAY IF THEY WILL HAVECLASS TOMORROW.BUT FOR NOW LIVE IN SPRING