September 8th, 2006

Hundreds of students in Ballston Spa have ended up with extra summer vacation time after the re-opening of their schools was delayed while officials checked whether there was any presence of asbestos in the buildings.

The schools affected were Wood Road Intermediate and Milton Terrace Primary Schools. Approximately 1,400 students ended up getting an extra week of summer vacation because of the delays caused by the inspection. The schools are now expected to re-open around September 13th.

The problem originally stemmed from air quality testing that was carried out where strands of asbestos fibers were found in the samples taken. Asbestos is a potentially deadly substance that can cause a range of health problems including an asbestos related cancer known as mesothelioma.

One official spoke of the inspections and stated: "We're erring on the side of caution; plan for the worst, hope for the best. We'll know more by Monday and Tuesday."