Students will go to their regular schools and then be shuttled by bus to the alternate sites. Four other schools will have asbestos removed but do not have summer school programs. The asbestos removal should be completed before school starts in the fall. The overriding concern, says Martin Libhart, the district's chief operating officer, is safety. Students and staff cannot be around asbestos as it is removed.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen.
Materials that contain asbestos usually are not hazardous unless the fibers are released into the air and inhaled. Nearly all the summer programs, for students who need extra help, have been moved to nearby schools. The distance isn't the primary concern of Earl Belt, chairman of the site council at Buckner and parent of a student there. He said he understood the safety issues involved in removing asbestos. But he wasn't entirely convinced the process was the right one.