Teachers, parents press Richmond schools for repairs after repeated asbestos and roof complaints at Elizabeth Redd Elementary

Teachers, parents and union representatives told the Richmond Public Schools board on Feb. 4 that Elizabeth Redd Elementary School has continuing asbestos hazards and unaddressed roof and mold problems that pose health and safety risks.

The comments came during the public comment period of the board's business meeting and the start of the FY2026 budget public hearing. Longtime RPS teacher and RDA president Ann Boriser said testing she arranged showed floor tiles and mastic in Redd’s auditorium contain asbestos and that broken tiles in a high-traffic space create an ongoing airborne hazard.

Union and school staff leaders backed Boriser’s account. Susan Hudgins, a 31-year veteran who said she works at Elizabeth Redd, told the board she reported broken tiles and water intrusion and that district facilities had not taken corrective action after work orders were filed. Allison Kaplan, a school counselor and REA representative, said Redd’s auditorium is used daily for PE, band, dismissals and assemblies, and that custodial staff have not received required AHERA asbestos awareness training nor have families received the annual asbestos notifications the law requires.

Board members and speakers repeatedly referenced AHERA — the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act — and asked why required notifications, trainings and abatement steps had not been completed. Several speakers contrasted the unresolved condition at Redd with recent discretionary capital spending elsewhere: Kaplan noted that $90,000 had been allocated to replace a gym floor at a different school, while Redd’s multipurpose space remains exposed.

Speakers asked the board to prioritize capital repairs and to ensure procurement and repair timelines do not create additional expense. Ann Boriser urged auditors and the board to review timelines and vendor performance “so we don’t waste tens of millions of dollars.” Beth Almore, an RPS teacher who said she instructs orchestra students who must cross the affected tile area, asked whether the district’s liability spending to defend lawsuits is visible in the budget and urged the board to “fix the things that can make people sue you.”

The public hearing then moved to budget-specific testimony, where multiple speakers linked facilities shortfalls to the proposed FY2026 spending plan and to proposed employee cost-sharing for health insurance.

The board did not vote on a remediation plan during the Feb. 4 meeting. Board members who asked questions requested follow-up information from staff, and the superintendent’s office said the administration would respond and provide required reports and communications. The administration also stated that facilities staff had recently responded to work orders over a weekend.

The board’s records and the speakers’ remarks indicate unresolved AHERA compliance items at Elizabeth Redd Elementary (notifications, custodial training, documented management plan updates and abatement scheduling). Speakers requested an immediate remediation plan, staff training and transparent reporting to families.

The board did not adopt any new funding line at the meeting; speakers asked the board to ensure capital budget decisions and procurement timelines are prioritized to resolve the health and safety claims.

The board’s next budget hearings are scheduled as part of the FY2026 process; staff said they will circulate AHERA inspection and management-plan documents and would report back to the board on remedial timelines.