New Jersey School Postpones Abatement

Anna C. Scott School superintendent Bernard Josefsberg and school parents came to a truce earlier this week after anger broke out over asbestos abatement in the Leonia Central School District.

The school, located in Northern New Jersey, is in the process of undergoing renovations as part of a capital project. Parts of the asbestos abatement were done the weekend of May 15, when school was not in session. However, when word of the project reached parents, the uproar began.

“Anytime you hear the word asbestos, it sets off alarm bells” said Gary Albanese, a parent.

Asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer affecting the lining of the stomach, lungs or heart. Currently there is no cure for the disease and only palliative treatments exist.

Josefsberg insisted that the abatement was safe and posed no risk to the students. Yet, he agreed to postpone the rest of the abatement work until the summer, despite the additional $150,000 to $200,000 that moving the project will cost. Still, given the magnitude of the project, the possibility that the work may carry over into the upcoming school year does exist.

The decision came with two informational meetings that Josefsberg held in attempt to ease tensions with parents. The meetings, both held Monday, gathered 20 people in the morning and 50 people at night.

In attempt to keep parents and school officials on the same page, school nurse Linda Bernard has started a construction safety committee. Bernard and several other school employees have agreed to monitor construction and update parents on the progress.

Source: http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/Leonia_school_chief_holds_sessions_with_parents_over_asbestos_concerns.html