Students and faculty from Calvin Coolidge Elementary School in Binghamton were back in the building Monday after asbestos abatement caused the school to be closed for the first half of the year. Administrators and teachers worked over the holiday weekend to prepare the school for Monday’s reopening. The asbestos issue was difficult for faculty members as all books and papers had to be disposed of. The school does have some replacement instructional materials including textbooks, but other materials are still being ordered. The total amount spent on replacement materials has not been announced by the school. The asbestos issue stemmed from a discovery of the substance in a crawl space back in mid-July. Air samples in the school were deemed unsafe in early August, and Sunstream Corporation, out of Binghamton, has been removing the Asbestos since mid-August. While the work was taking place at Calvin Coolidge, the school’s students were sent to Theodore Roosevelt Elementary, Woodrow Wilson Elementary, East Middle School, and the former Columbus School on Hawley Street.
