As if the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t enough. K-12 school districts nationwide are upgrading air filters and sanitization practices in the struggle to protect students, faculty and staff from the coronavirus. On top of these challenges, one large school district faces an additional undertaking that also threatens the health of building occupants.
The University of Pennsylvania recently announced it will contribute $100 million to the School District of Philadelphia over the next decade to deal with environmental hazards such as asbestos and lead in school buildings, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Officials said the contribution of $10 million each year for 10 years represents that largest private contribution to the school district in its history, accessing that the school district has since 2018 fully stabilized lead paint in 54 elementary schools, completed work to certify an additional 25 schools as lead-safe and invested more than $23 million to complete asbestos-related projects.
Dan Hounsell is editor of Facility Maintenance Decisions.
