September 30th, 2007

Parents of students attending an elementary school in Texas are mad that renovations on the school were conduct while classes were in session. The renovations could have disturbed deadly asbestos within the buildings.

Parents are upset that asbestos was removed from one Texas school while classes were still in session. Though school officials say there was no danger to either students or staff, parents are wondering why the renovations could not be held off for two more weeks until school is over for the summer. For renovations that are already behind schedule, and a construction team that had other sites to work on, school officials said that proceeding with the work made the most sense. The areas being worked on were sealed off from the rest of the school, and the asbestos was safely disposed of.

Parents at Roosevelt ISD are raising voices, concerned that their children could have been exposed to cancer-causing asbestos through renovation work that could have waited. “The ultimate risk with asbestos is Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lungs” says Dr. Richard Chengson.

And that risk is why Roosevelt parents are upset that asbestos work was being done while school was in session and that they were never notified.

“Why didn’t they inform the parents” asks one parent.

“I think they could have waited for the kids to be released and they`d be gone” says another parent.

School is out next Thursday, but the school district says they simply wanted to get on with the work.

“It`s a couple weeks but it`s two weeks we`d lose with the contractor that`s ready to get started in there says Roy Turner, RISD Facilities Manager.

Asbestos was taken out of the Roosevelt Elementary school auditorium and the high school theater, both of which are connected to the school`s air conditioning systems.

“It would be a concern with children in the area with asbestos escaping into the air” says one parent.

But district officials say the work areas were properly secured and no asbestos could have escaped. They say the Texas Department of Health inspected and approved the asbestos removal project, saying there`s nothing to worry about.

“At no time were any kids in danger. It was all airtight and sealed” says Turner.