SCRANTON, Pa. — UPDATE:
Teachers carried out boxes and bins of supplies from their classrooms at Robert Morris Elementary this afternoon.
They won't teach students in these classrooms for the rest of the year.
Last week, asbestos was found in one classroom.
The district called in experts to remove the hazardous material and make sure it was safe for students and faculty to return.
Air quality tests deemed it safe, but district officials decided it was best to make arrangements to send students and faculty to other schools for the last few weeks of school.
In a statement from the superintendent, it said :
"The Board and the Administration sympathize with the confusion and frustration this disruption is causing the Robert Morris community; however, the decision to relocate came with an abundance of caution for the safety of our students and staff."
Kindergarten, First Grade, and Life Skills students will report to John Adams Elementary located on Capouse Avenue.
Second Grade, Third Grade, and Fourth Grade students will report to Neil Armstrong Elementary on North Lincoln Avenue.
Students will also be picked up and dropped off from the parking lot at Robert Morris before and after school.
Students will also have the same teachers and will be in separate classrooms from other students.
Original story:
The discovery of asbestos insulation is forcing the closure of a school in Scranton.
The Scranton School District announced Tuesday that Robert Morris Elementary School will be closed for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year.
An emergency meeting of the school board made the decision based on the recommendation of the district's environmental consultant Pennoni Associates.
A contractor working in the school found asbestos insulation in a second-floor ceiling.
Students and staff will move to neighborhood elementary schools, John Adams Elementary and Neil Armstrong Elementary, keeping grade sections together.
Voting in the Pennsylvania primary election scheduled for the school was moved outside to the Lackawanna County EMA Mobile Command Center vehicle.
Developing story; check back for updates.
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