PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Plans to reopen Frankford High School in Northeast Philadelphia are underway as the Philadelphia School District provided updates on the 2025-2026 school year on Tuesday.
Most of the The 108-year-old building is closed since April 2023 due to asbestos damage.
An investment of $19.9 million is needed for the reopening plan that will address environmental concerns and renovate most of the school from the ground floor to the fourth floor, the release said. The asbestos abatement work, which officials say includes repair, removal and containment, will be done when students and staff are not in the building during the summer or after school.
Officials said students in grades 10 through 12 will learn in the school’s D Wing, which is closed off from the main section, while ninth graders will learn at Roberto Clemente Middle School in North Philadelphia. The school’s D wing will remain isolated from the main building during construction as the curriculum continues through the upcoming school year.
The reopening plan includes:
-
Removal of plaster ceilings in hallways and classrooms
-
Fencing of asbestos materials, including installing laminate panels over plaster walls in hallways and classrooms. Unlike drywall, this material is easy to clean and resistant to damage. It was used in the district’s newest school, TM Peirce.
-
Removing vinyl asbestos tile floor tile in basement
The project started by proposing that the school take photographs and document all the spaces.
“Frankford has been an important and historic center for learning in Philadelphia for more than a century, and we are confident this investment will allow us to safely reopen the building for students and staff,” Chief Operating Officer Oz Hill said in the release. press release. “We are grateful for the patience and cooperation of the Frankford community and are working with school leadership and meeting quarterly to provide updates on our progress.”
The district said once the asbestos work is completed, new ceilings in the classrooms and hallways will feature energy-efficient LED lighting, new vinyl tile floors will replace the cafeteria tiles and the existing wood floors will be refinished.
Much work will continue after the reopening project, such as the priority of replacing the HVAC system, which officials said could not be included in the project due to funding.
“While much of the asbestos-containing materials in Frankford will be removed or contained during this project, some asbestos-containing materials will remain in the building. The presence of asbestos in itself is not a health hazard; only when it is enters the air, it poses a health hazard.” can be a problem. Frankford will undergo inspections twice annually to monitor the condition of the asbestos materials so they can be maintained in good condition,” the district said in the news release.
