Asbestos discovered in Norton classrooms days before first day of school

NORTON, Mass. — The Norton Public School District is working to find new classrooms for students after asbestos was found in an elementary school just days before the first day of school.

The superintendent tells Boston 25 News luckily they discovered the asbestos while kids were not inside the school yet, but it takes a while to get it under control since the state needs to approve a plan first before they can act.

Right now, it could be a few weeks before students return to their own classrooms.

Kiera O'Halloran is entering the fourth-grade at Henri A. Yelle Elementary School.

"This is the first year she’s going into the school and I’m sure other kids, it’s the first year they’re going in, so it’s a big adjustment, so it’s unfortunate," said her grandfather Tim Garofalo.

Luckily, Kiera's classroom won't be changed.

"Because I'm on the first floor and it's only on the second floor," Kiera said.

Norton Public Schools Superintendent Joe Baeta says the Yelle School is undergoing a renovation project paid for by the state and while the second-floor windows were being replaced, a ceiling tile fell with asbestos now contaminating the floor.

"This is a section of the building that has two ceilings, its original ceiling and then a drop ceiling with asbestos properly wrapped in pipes – that pipe at some point became brittle so the debris has fallen onto the tile," said Baeta.

Now, they're forced to close those 12 classrooms and move fifth-graders to other spaces like the cafeteria, library, and gymnasium while the Department of Environmental Protection figures out how to properly clean it up so it's safe for students.

"It’s all about the safety of my kids, my students, and my staff, and it’s something I don’t play with, so we’ll take this day by day," said Baeta.

As for all of the school supplies on the second-floor, Baeta says everything, including all Chromebooks, have been cleaned and tested so they're safe to start using on the first day of school.

>> Help local teachers get ready to go back to school

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