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An elementary school in a suburb of Cleveland, OH, remains closed after officials found asbestos.
Roxbury Elementary School in Solon, OH, which is southeast of Cleveland, closed due to asbestos in the school. Students relocated to Parkside Church in a nearby suburb, Chagrin Falls, for classes this week. Officials did not have a specific timeline for when Roxbury Elementary would reopen.
Asbestos can cause deadly diseases, including types of cancer. Fine particles can be disturbed and sent into the air where students, teachers and others can inhale or swallow them without realizing.
Asbestos exposure is the only cause of mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer that starts in the lining of the lungs and abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma takes 20-50 years to develop, but the prognosis is very poor and most people who are diagnosed with the cancer die within 2 years.
Solon School District hoped to reopen the school last week, but additional testing identified asbestos in a roof drain and a hallway. Asbestos was a popular part of construction projects during the 20th century. Homes, offices and schools were built with asbestos materials to keep floor tiles, roof shingles, siding and more durable and safe from heat.
Asbestos in Schools
For several years, schools have closed in the U.S. due to asbestos findings. The Philadelphia School District dealt with a string of dozens of school closings starting in 2019. Other schools across the country have closed as well.
There were three separate schools dealing with asbestos issues as recently as last month. Finding asbestos in old schools built during the 20th century is a problem likely to continue in the country.
School officials close schools for student and staff safety. The intent is to keep people out of the building until asbestos abatement professionals can either encapsulate the substance or remove it entirely. The process can take weeks depending on the amount of asbestos, the location, and how difficult it is to seal or remove fully.
Additional testing may uncover more asbestos in the building, as occurred in Roxbury Elementary School. The initial test found asbestos in a classroom. A second test revealed no asbestos, but a third identified asbestos in the roof drain.
Asbestos is only dangerous when deteriorating or disturbed. Materials containing asbestos are not harmful when intact and sturdy. However, many schools with asbestos were built 40, 50, or even 60 years ago. Over time, repairs or general use can disturb asbestos and fracture the tiny fibers woven together in the material.
Sources & Author
- Reopening of Roxbury Elementary School ‘undetermined’ after latest asbestos testing. Fox8 News. Retrieved from: https://fox8.com/news/roxbury-elementary-school-to-remain-closed-through-sept-12-for-asbestos-testing/. Accessed: 09/11/2025.
Sources & Author
