School District Moving Forward After Asbestos Concerns

After St. Louis Park junior and senior high schools were , the district's spokeswoman said the return of students and staff went smoothly.

Sara Thompson said some were on "pins and needles" Wednesday morning when the buildings were first reopened, but added that people calmed down as the day went on. Generally, Thompson said parents were understanding of the situation and glad the schools shut down for nearly two days as a precaution.

To further ease any concerns, Thompson said the district is offering to pay for medical exams for any staff members concerned about asbestos exposure. To date, she said a small handful of staff members have taken the district up on the offer.

The district is also looking to set up a similar system for students and their families, but Thompson said there are more factors at play because minors are involved. No definitive plan has been established.

Thompson said an environmental consultant that was involved in testing and cleaning up the schools gave several presentations on Wednesday to address any questions people had (see the attached PDF for a list of frequently asked questions). Additional information was also posted to the school district's website.

Looking forward, Thompson said the school district would like to replace some older tiles at its schools during spring break, but added that the timing of that may be difficult. She said this coming summer has been identified as a more likely time that some older tiling can be replaced. Currently, the district has older tiling that likely contains asbestos in all of its schools. This is common in many older buildings, as asbestos was often used as an inexpensive and durable flooring material in the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

This type of flooring is generally safe when sealed, but if there is significant wear and tear — like what was found at the two St. Louis Park schools — asbestos fibers can be released. When inhaled, asbestos can lead to lung problems, such as the type of cancer known as mesothelioma,