Asbestos Closes Colorado Charter School
After asbestos was discovered, Cesar Chavez Central, a charter school in Colorado Springs, will close down and not reopen. The cost of asbestos abatement and renovation, estimated to be $600,000, would be too costly. School leaders are asking to close down Central and have students and staff move to another sister charter school site.
Only a few months after opening the Cesar Chavez in 2007, school officials became aware of the asbestos problem and realized that they would not be able to expand their facilities as planned because they could not afford to rebuild or remove the toxic material.
Asbestos is a fibrous, naturally occurring silicate mineral that exhibits heat, fire and erosion resistant properties that made it very useful in building materials often used in schools prior to the mid-1980’s. Under certain conditions, asbestos containing materials can release fibers into the air, which can then be inhaled by the occupants of the school. When inhaled, asbestos can cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. The best protection is to avoid any and all exposure. Due to the severe health hazards caused by exposure to asbestos, regulations about rebuilding or demolishing buildings that contain asbestos are very strict. The cost of renovation that includes proper asbestos abatement can be very high.
Parents claim they were not informed of the asbestos problem until May, although CEO Lawrence Hernandez says that the information was shared and the knowledge of asbestos in the buildings was not kept a secret. Parents question the high salaries that the two CEO’s were receiving, arguing that the school would have had the funds to address the asbestos issue and avoid closing its doors if the officials had received a more reasonable salary.
The Cesar Chavez Academy Board President defends the administrations financial decisions and salary choices.
