Asbestos in Maryland Schools: Another Safety Crisis Under Wes Moore’s Watch

Just weeks after Maryland families learned their children would be sitting in mold-filled classrooms, another threat has emerged: asbestos. This isn’t a relic of the 1970s—it’s a very real danger affecting Maryland students right now in 2025.

Williamsport High: 900 Kids Sent Home

The most glaring case comes from Williamsport High School in Washington County, where asbestos fibers were discovered during summer renovations. Construction projects meant to modernize HVAC and electrical systems instead spread contamination beyond the contained work areas.

The result? Over 900 students pushed into virtual learning for at least half the year, extracurriculars uprooted, and parents left questioning how this could possibly happen in 2025. Band camp had to relocate to a middle school. Football practices were scrambled. This isn’t just a health issue—it’s a complete disruption of school life.

Montgomery County: Asbestos in a School for Struggling Students

Meanwhile, in Montgomery County, the Blair G. Ewing Center—already plagued with mold—was flagged for asbestos concerns. This facility houses alternative learning programs for at-risk students. In other words: Maryland’s most vulnerable kids are being asked to learn in a building that contains not just mold, but asbestos. Teachers and staff, already dealing with safety concerns, are openly questioning whether leadership cares about their students at all.

The Pattern: Neglect and Excuses

Let’s be clear: asbestos is not a new problem. Federal law (the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) has been on the books since 1986. Maryland passed its own rules in 1983. Every district is required to inspect, document, and manage asbestos. Yet here we are in 2025, with schools being shut down mid-renovation because the hazard wasn’t contained.

Parents deserve to know why these inspections and safeguards failed. Instead, they’re being handed vague reassurances and promises of better communication next time.

Wes Moore’s Maryland: The Basics Are Broken

Governor Wes Moore and Maryland Democrats continue to push for sweeping, high-cost education “reforms” under the Kirwan Blueprint for the Future—but what future do students have if they’re inhaling asbestos fibers and mold spores?

Billions are earmarked for bureaucracy, consultant studies, and expanding programs, but crumbling infrastructure is left to rot until disaster strikes. Families are told to be patient while their children Zoom into classes from their bedrooms because their schools are literally unsafe to occupy.

Health Risks: Not Just “Old Building Problems”

Asbestos exposure isn’t a minor inconvenience. It is a known carcinogen linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Children’s developing lungs make them especially vulnerable to long-term harm. Parents in Washington County were told no employee illnesses have been reported yet—but that’s cold comfort when the effects of asbestos exposure can take decades to surface.

Accountability, Not Excuses

Maryland doesn’t lack regulations. What it lacks is leadership. Here’s what should happen now:

• Independent Investigations: Parents deserve independent reports on why asbestos and mold crises keep blindsiding districts.
• Infrastructure First: Redirect funding from political vanity projects and administrative expansion toward replacing HVAC systems, removing asbestos, and fixing structural hazards.
• Transparency: Publish asbestos and mold management plans online, not buried in district offices where few parents ever see them.
• Emergency Preparedness: No school should start the year without documented clearance that classrooms are safe.

The Bigger Picture

This is not just about Williamsport High or Blair G. Ewing Center. Maryland has hundreds of schools built before the 1980s, and most contain asbestos. Universities like Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland have reported asbestos in over 90 buildings. This is a statewide crisis—one that has been ignored for too long.

The question is simple: if Maryland’s leaders can’t keep kids safe from mold and asbestos, why should taxpayers trust them with billions more for “transformational reform”?

Parents aren’t asking for miracles. They’re asking for safe classrooms. In Wes Moore’s Maryland, even that seems like too much to expect.