Caesar Chavez Academy in Pueblo, Colorado is facing a slew of problems, both environmental and financial. According to school board president Dennis Feuerstein, the school board recently discovered that asbestos is present in the school. Removal costs for the asbestos are expected to be as much as $400,000. The school currently rents the building, but the lease is up in July. Asbestos is linked to pleural mesothelioma, among other medical conditions.

On top of the asbestos problems plaguing the school, the board is also facing allegation that the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating Office receive a salary that is too exorbitant, causing the school to run low on funding. Due to lack of enrollment, Caesar Chavez Academy will be merging due to the low enrollment numbers. Two other buildings - Caesar Chavez Academy Central and Caesar Chavez Academy North Campus - will merge next year.

Despite evidence to the contrary, Feuerstein told local news reporters that the school is not facing financial issues. The school board expressed disappointment with the Principal at the Central campus, who had not met her enrollment quota. The board had hoped enrollment would be up to 225 by now; however, there are currently only 80 students that have enrolled at the school. “For the past two years we have needed to increase enrollment. That has not been met and it is just not a good financial decision,” said Feuerstein.

Between the deadly asbestos problems and financial woes, the school board will have a lot to think about. The school board is expected to make a decision about the future of Caesar Chavez Academy by June 10. Asbestos abatement is typically quite costly, and many school districts nationwide struggle to cover the costs – or do not remove the potentially harmful material.

Asbestos diseases generally manifest when an individual is well into adulthood, but the issue of exposure is quite serious for children and teenagers, as they may develop mesothelioma or asbestosis at a younger age – perhaps in their twenties or early thirties. Oncologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating asbestos illnesses, including Dr. Raphael Bueno of Massachusetts, continue to study this disease with the hope of finding a cure.

For now, treatment for asbestos diseases often involves mesothelioma surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

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