ASBESTOS IN WISCONSIN
Future of asbestos-laden Wisconsin school undecided

Outside of Madison, Wisconsin, the future of one asbestos-laden school has been called into question.

September 11, 2009 - Dekorra Elementary is a small school that is home to less than one hundred students. The town hall and the elementary school share the same building.

Like thousands of other schools housed in old public buildings, this one was built with asbestos materials to reduce the threat of fire, but at a time when the health hazards of asbestos exposure were little known.

Asbestos can potentially endanger the health of students, school teachers and employees. Very few people know that there is a high rate of mesothelioma deaths among U.S. school teachers, primarily because they spend their entire teaching careers in old public buildings laden with deteriorating asbestos materials, like the Dekorra Elementary school in Wisconsin.

“The facilities here are outdated,” said Fred Teitgen, a member of a new committee charged with exploring future options for the school. “It's estimated that three-quarters of a million dollars of work would be necessary to bring [the building] up to a more acceptable standard: including air conditioning and asbestos removal.”

Asbestos in Wisconsin

According to a report by the EWG Action fund, a nonprofit environmental research group, Wisconsin is ranked the 16th state in the nation for asbestos-related mesothelioma fatalities.

Some critics say that the school should be shut down next year because the amount of money spent to keep the school open is disproportionate to the number of students enrolled. All told, the school needs about $120,000 each year to stay open.

Parents are upset at the thought of the school shutting down, however. “From what I understand all the kids who've been here have had good educations, nice small class sizes. I think it would be really disappointing to close the school,” said one mother.

If the school shuts down, the students would have to move to other schools in the area. A Town Hall meeting will be held on the 15th of this month to discuss the issue.

Time to seek justice

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers and residents since 1986. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients injured by job-related asbestos exposure.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering. Because the firm works on a contingency basis, there is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.