Southwark School in Philadelphia welcomes students back after being closed for asbestos concerns
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Southwark School reopened their doors for students Tuesday morning after being closed for several weeks due to asbestos concerns.
CBS Philadelphia was at the South Philly school as students returned to their classrooms for the first time since late October when the school shut down.
"We feel great about being back. It was time," Kimberly Sollberger, a parent and teacher at Southwark, said. "I think the children lost a lot of instructional time once again and somehow they managed to work it out."
Since the temporary closure, students had transitioned from virtual learning, to two temporary classrooms.
The shutdown came after workers in the school found dust and debris in the attic that potentially contained asbestos.
Asbestos is a construction material found in older buildings. When it gets damaged and flakes get into the air, those particles can cause lung damage if inhaled.
READ MORE: Asbestos in Philadelphia schools: What we know
Sollberger said there's a chance history could repeat itself because they're old buildings.
"We are happy that it's passed, but we'll see if it happens again, there's no guarantee it won't happen again," she said.
Southwark was the first Philadelphia School District building to close in the 2023-24 school year. Six schools closed in the 2022-23 year because of damaged asbestos.
