YATES CENTER — Asbestos found earlier this month in the Yates Center Elementary School gymnasium has prompted school officials to shutter the building until the asbestos can be removed.
Woodson USD 366, which administers all Yates Center schools, announced the move via Facebook Monday.
Superintendent of Schools Greg Brown told the Register this morning that alternative sites for students to attend school have been found until the asbestos can be removed.
“We’ll have kids scattered all over Yates Center,” he said.
Three grade levels, for example, are going to local churches. Another grade level is going to the Eastern Star building on the downtown square. Fourth- and fifth-graders will be shuttled to the Woodson County Fairgrounds.
“The most nerve-wracking part of all of this is sending kids across U.S. 75,” Brown said.
The students will begin their day at Yates Center High School, where students who eat breakfast on campus still will be allowed to do so.
The teachers will greet their students at the high school, at which point buses will shuttle the students to their temporary quarters.
The district announced its Christmas break will be extended a day, to Jan. 4, in order to secure accommodations for the displaced students.
A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday in the high school auditorium to answer questions, and to “consider parts of the plan that may need adjustments,” Brown said.
District patrons will be sent a mailer this week after details have been secured.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that once was lauded for its versatility, recognized for its heat resistance, tensile strength and insulating properties, and used for everything from fire-proof vests to home and commercial construction. It was woven into fabric, and mixed with cement.
Its properties were so desired that the United States military mandated its use in every branch of service. Asbestos was a perfect blend to make things better – except it was highly toxic, too. Today asbestos is a known cause of mesothelioma cancer, is banned in more than 50 countries (not the U.S.), and its use has been dramatically restricted in others.
In Yates Center’s case, the asbestos was part of the ceiling tiles in the gymnasium.
The asbestos was discovered Dec. 19, prompting school officials to close for Christmas break two days early.
The cleanup is expected to take four weeks, Brown said.
Asbestos in other parts of the building, built in 1969, remains encapsulated and is not deemed a health threat, Brown said.
Asbestos cleanup shutters school
