Lead, asbestos, mold and crumbling school buildings are a public health crisis
Broken and toxic schools are hurting communities across Pennsylvania.
We’ve seen 10 school closings in this academic year Philadelphia, but recent reports in Scranton and the problems statewide underscore the fact that this is a statewide problem.
My office is tracking this issue and we have found reports of broken and toxic schools in 33 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties since 2015. Those reports include school closings for lead, asbestos, mold, broken heating and air systems, radon, and other environmental or facilities-related concerns.
A Joint State Government report, commissioned by the state Senate, found that lead and aging school infrastructure are issues in many school districts across the commonwealth. More than three-quarters of Pennsylvania schools were built before lead paint bans. The facts are clear: This issue impacts communities in every region of Pennsylvania.
We need you to call your legislator and tell them to support Gov. Tom Wolf’s $1 billion plan to help get lead and asbestos out of our schools. If you want more info on this topic visit senatorhughes.com/toxic schools.