The Abington School District removed all decorative wall panels from the Abington Senior High School auditorium lobby after a row of panels detached and fell, and the board approved a retroactive contract to remove panels and begin remediation.

Superintendent Dr. Fetcher told the board the failure occurred early one morning when multiple panels fell from the top row. “We need to have all the panels removed to begin remediation of the issue,” she said. Facilities staff said approximately 13 or 14 panels fell that morning and that the entire wall — in excess of 50 and possibly around 70 panels — was taken down to ensure safety.

The board considered and approved an awards-of-contract addendum that included a retroactive removal contract because the work was an emergency safety remediation. Board members asked whether the company that installed the panels was responsible; administration said the installers were not the company that performed the removal work, and the district will pursue insurance or contractor remedies if appropriate.

Why it matters: the panel failure created an immediate safety hazard in a high-traffic student area. Facilities and legal staff said the district removed the panels to prevent further incidents and will evaluate replacement options after insurance and any contractual remedies are resolved.

Board members pressed for details about safety and remediation. Administration said custodial and facilities staff closed the area after the incident, removed everything from the wall and have begun discussions with insurers and contractors about responsibility and next steps. The district will solicit bids for replacement work as appropriate; administrators said that if insurance does not cover the full replacement cost the district will pursue remedies against the installation contractor.