Asbestos Abatement at Brighton West Elementary School Raises Concerns
Parents of children at Brighton West Elementary School are becoming concerned about the asbestos abatement which has been decided to start shortly. The school officials are planning to hold a special meeting to inform parents about the project. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Brighton West gymnasium.
In a letter sent by Superintendent Larry Elsea on March 21, the parents were advised that the the removal of asbestos would not happen during school hours or in areas where students were present. However, some parents are still concerned about the project.
"I am concerned about the project starting before the end of the school year," said one Parent, "A lot of parents in the district were upset about it because it would begin on April 16, five weeks before the end of the school year (May 25)."
The preliminary asbestos removal at Brighton West would start during the district’s spring break, the superintendent said.
“The only thing that’s being done over our spring break is the removal of the old boiler, which is in a basement area, and there won’t be any kids or staff around when that boiler is removed. There’s a little asbestos involved in some of the pipe-wrap, but that will be gloved and bagged,†Elsea said.
"The district has been removing asbestos from its buildings for more than a decade and the projects always were carried out in accordance with state regulations," Elsea added.
There was a $3 million renovation project at Shipman Elementary last year. The Brighton West’s renovations also are expected to cost around $3 million. A $4 million offer offer had been rejected by the Southwestern School Board.
