Kensington high school students relocate after asbestos concerns

Kensington High School Students to Relocate After Asbestos Concerns Force Building Closure

More than 400 students and 90 staff members at Kensington High School will temporarily relocate to Austin Meehan Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia after asbestos concerns forced the high school to close just days before the start of the new school year.

The issue was discovered while crews were installing a new HVAC system. According to the School District of Philadelphia, an asbestos inspector identified concerns during demolition of the old system.

Remediation crews began cleaning and removing materials from the Kensington building Thursday, while air-quality testing continues. The district expects Kensington High School to reopen in January.

Arthur Steinberg, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said he was relieved the issue was identified before students returned but criticized the circumstances surrounding the discovery.

“I’m glad they discovered it before people occupied the building, but it’s something that should have never occurred,” Steinberg said.

The temporary relocation will create logistical challenges for students, staff and families, including transportation and moving classroom materials to the Northeast Philadelphia site.

“They’re going to have to do some work to get the building ready,” Steinberg said. “It’s going to create difficulties with logistics, travel.”

The district said closer schools were considered but did not meet the necessary space and accessibility requirements. School leaders will begin preparing the temporary site Monday, with additional information about schedules and transportation expected to be provided to families.

The latest closure also comes amid ongoing scrutiny of asbestos management in Philadelphia schools. Federal prosecutors charged the district in 2025 over alleged violations involving the inspection, remediation and reporting of damaged asbestos, with the district subsequently entering a deferred prosecution agreement.

Steinberg said the latest incident should prompt a closer examination of the district’s procedures, saying an upcoming city controller review could help determine “where the procedures failed” and how they can be improved.

Kensington High School Students to Relocate After Asbestos Concerns Force Building Closure was originally published on rnbphilly.com