A firm has been hired to remove the asbestos found at Watertown High School for more than a quarter million dollars.
The asbestos was discovered during an inspection by EFI Global, the district’s asbestos consultant. There were a few locations, but the most prominent one was in the skim coat plaster on the walls and ceilings of classrooms in the high school.
The district will hire Northstar, a licensed asbestos abatement firm, to work on the high school, said Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Mary DeLai.
“The estimated time for the work will be 60 work days,” DeLai said. “It will probably take until March 1 to complete the abatement.”
The asbestos will be removed and/or encapsulated during the work. EFI Global will oversee the work.
DeLai said the work will be done after school during the second shift – 4 p.m. to midnight – Monday through Friday. The bid for the work is $262,300, DeLai said.
“It could go up if unforeseen conditions are found,” DeLai said.
The money will come out of the district’s maintenance budget, DeLai said. If that doesn’t cover it, DeLai said school officials may have to ask the town for more money.
“We are not proposing to make cuts in eduction programs to pay for the work,” DeLai said.