August 18, 2025
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
Frankford High School, which closed in April 2023 because of asbestos exposure, underwent a $29.9 million renovation and will reopen in time for the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
Frankford High School, which closed in 2023 after asbestos was detected, will reopen in time for the start of the 2025-2026 school year, the School District of Philadelphia said Monday.
Officials spent $29.9 million on building improvements and repairs in the abatement project to make the structure safe. The district said many materials in the building that contained asbestos were removed, and 6,000 panels were added to cover any of the remaining toxic fibers in classrooms, hallways, bathrooms and offices to prevent it from being disturbed.
The renovation also included new wood and vinyl flooring, LED lights, ceiling grids, window panes, 83 window air-conditioning units and 10 additional hydration stations, plus repairs to the third-floor gymnasium. Spaces previously used for storage were also converted into a technology center, college/career readiness office, food pantry, resource center and school store, and 31 smartboards were added throughout the building. Murals were preserved throughout the process.
"We have rebuilt our asbestos program, tripled our investment in environmental management and increased transparency to serve Frankford and all school communities, with safety and well-being as our No. 1 priority," Superintendent Tony Watlington said in a statement. "Today, our program is current in its inspections and schedule of repairs."
Crews will also start on a roof repair project in the coming months.
Asbestos is a building material that was once a popular choice for insulation. However, the particles released into the air when damaged can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare membrane cancer which covers the lungs.
The school was one of six that closed in April 2023 because of asbestos exposure, although grades 10, 11 and 12 were attending classes in the school's D wing in the interim. In the 1990s, the school was labeled as one that didn't contain asbestos following a sampling test. In 2023, the district completed a more comprehensive review which found that report was incorrect and shuttered the school.
In 2024, the district announced plans for a $20 million repair project and said it intended to reopen in time for the 2025-2026 school year. The school district did not immediately return a request for comment on the added costs since the announcement.
In June, the School District of Philadelphia was the first in the country to face criminal charges for asbestos regulation violations. The charges were the result of a five-year investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division.
By law, the district is required to perform formal inspections on all buildings containing asbestos every three years, plus interim inspections every six months on the areas containing the material. Frankford High School was one of seven schools that investigators said the district failed to complete three-year inspections on. The report said 31 buildings had asbestos issues between April 2015 and November 2023, including damaged asbestos that was covered up with duct tape.
Following those charges, a federal court will monitor the district to ensure compliance. If it meets the requirements, prosecutors can drop the charges after five years.
