We want the school board to suspend the asbestos abatement until the 2020 summer break and reschedule the demolition of the 1929 portion to summer break 2021. Currently, the abatement is scheduled to run from Jan 13th to June 30th of 2020, the entire second semester. The affected areas will be surrounding the band room and butting-up to the locker rooms and study hall.

We have submitted several questions of concern (What is the emergency action plan if there is an exposure? Will kids be put through decontamination units if they are exposed? Will everyone be sent home if there is a leak? How long will the school be closed if there is a leak? Who tests the air quality at 5:30am when the basketball team gets there for practice? Who tests it on weekends when there are games and practices scheduled? Have visiting teams, staff, and dignitaries been informed of the abatement?) only to be met with no response from the board. The consulting firm Courtice/Grason said our concerns about the air quality and circulation rates were "vague and ubiquitous" then referred us to State statutes. Asbestos is only harmful when it becomes airborne and is inhaled, making any questions about "air quality" and "circulation rate" of extreme importance, not vague and ubiquitous. Of the people we are entrusting with our children's lives (school board, district office, consulting firm), not one could give us an "emergency action" plan if there is an issue. This should be unacceptable for EVERY parent. We have tornado, fire, and active shooter alarms and drills for our staff and kids. Why are there no alarms or evacuation plans for something that could prove deadly for everyone in the building? There is no current "early testing" for asbestos related diseases from exposure and, once a diagnosis has been reached, the life-expectancy rate is 12-21 months (taken from asbestos.com)

The board has not given any reason for the urgency of this procedure, except that it could possibly interfere with the sporting schedules of the 2020-2021 season. There is no current schedule to do anything with the space that will be created by the demolition of the 1929 building. Other area schools have realized the dangers of this procedure and elected to wait until school was out, why are we not waiting? A contact with the Asbestos Program for the IL Dept of Public Health, said his department hands out violations and fines on a daily basis. He also questioned why this was being done while school was in session.

We teach our kids to buckle-up, to say no to drugs, and to avoid the dangers of smoking and alcohol. What reason could we possibly have for sending them into an environment such as an asbestos abatement area?