Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Williamsport gym reopens after asbestos remediation work; district estimates roughly $3M to complete cleanup
Summary
District staff reported the Williamsport High School gym is open after initial clearance testing showed no asbestos fibers; officials outlined ongoing duct cleaning, ceiling replacement and contractor costs estimated around $2.9–3.0M and targeted a partial building reopening for Jan. 21, 2026, while cautioning the schedule is tentative.
District staff told the Washington County Board of Education on Nov. 18 that the Williamsport High School gym has reopened for winter sports after rounds of asbestos testing and cleaning, and that the broader remediation project will continue through the winter.
Chief operating officer Jeff Prew and other staff presented testing data and an update on cleanup work. They said initial TEM (transmission electron microscope) air sampling for asbestos in the gym produced nondetect results on all samples taken so far. Staff also reported wipe sampling inside ductwork revealed no asbestos fibers, though they noted wipe sampling has no formal regulatory clearance standard and TEM air sampling is the controlling clearance test.
Contractor and cost information presented to the board included an industrial hygienist estimate (Boggs Environmental Consultants) of about $485,000 to complete industrial‑hygiene services and a cleaning contractor (Retroenvironmental) projected to complete duct cleaning with a total project estimate around $2.9M (staff said the figure might float slightly higher). Staff separately identified about $1,360,000 in estimated duct‑cleaning emergency procurements and an estimated $297,000 for ceiling‑tile replacement under current bids.
Staff described containment practices (plastic containment walls and separated HVAC systems for the gym level), daily duct‑cleaning crews of 65–70 workers, and a sequence of work that aims to complete duct cleaning by Dec. 23 and to return the remainder of the building to students by the start of the second semester, Jan. 21, 2026. Officials cautioned the schedule remains ambitious and dependent on ongoing testing and contractor availability.
Board members thanked the facilities team and emphasized safety and careful testing before returning students to the building. Staff said they will continue to report progress and that final occupancy depends on TEM air sampling averages that must stay below regulatory thresholds.
