Frankford High School, already closed by asbestos, will likely not reopen next year

Asbestos damage at Frankford High School is so extensive that the school will likely not reopen at all next school year, according to the district.

Most of Frankford’s 900 students have been learning virtually since April, as the district dealt with damaged asbestos, and will continue to remain online for the rest of the school year. Students with special needs have been relocated to Olney High School.

“The extent of the damage identified at Frankford was unexpected, and we have been unable to quickly identify a nearby swing space that could be prepared in time for this school year to accommodate students and staff, as well as meet all the programmatic needs,” Oz Hill, the Philadelphia School District’s chief operating officer, said in a letter sent to Frankford families and staff.

“For that reason, Frankford will be closed for in-person learning for the remainder of this academic year. We also expect we will need to keep the school building closed next year due to the necessary environmental and other work, including HVAC, and repairs needed throughout the facility.”

» READ MORE: Philly schools are ramping up asbestos work but are three years away from meeting federal requirements

Damaged asbestos has been found in the ground floor hallway and cafeteria above ductwork and drop ceilings, Hill said, on the third and fourth floor, and elsewhere throughout the building.

Officials are trying to find an alternative location for students to return to in-person learning in the fall, Hill said, prioritizing proximity to Frankford, the desire to keep the school together in one facility, environmental conditions inside the temporary space, community safety concerns, and the ability to serve breakfast and lunch. A committee of staff, parents, students and community members has formed a relocation team.

In a separate letter, Frankford principal Michael Calderone told the Frankford community that “the news we received earlier was not just disappointing, it was heartbreaking. However difficult that news is to hear, I want to assure you that we will get through this together and come out of this situation closer and stronger than ever before.”

Calderone acknowledged that finding a temporary location has been tough. Officials had initially said they wanted to relocate the school quickly and had hoped to find a new site before the end of this school year.

“As you can probably imagine, finding spaces like this is difficult in our immediate vicinity. In fact, part of our rapid growth in student enrollment this year is due to the fact that most, if not all, of the high schools in this part of the city are already over capacity and additional, appropriate spaces are hard to find,” Calderone wrote.

The school will still hold graduation at Frankford’s stadium.

“Please note this is a temporary situation,” Calderone said of the closure. “We will not be in an auxiliary space forever. I hope to have more updates for you soon as to the long-term plan for our facility.”

The news comes as district environmental officials say they are three years away from achieving the pace of asbestos inspections needed to meet federal guidelines. The average district school is 73 years old.

Six district schools have been closed this year, including Frankford. The others are Building 21, Mastery Gratz Charter High School and C.W. Henry Elementary, which have since reopened. Mitchell and Universal Vare Charter School are still closed with virtual instruction, but Mitchell has been relocated to McMichael Elementary.