The congregation of the Family Life Cathedral in Vicksburg, Mississippi has been working since 1997 to remove asbestos from the church. Finally, the church—which was once the Ken Karyl Elementary School—will be asbestos-free by the end of June. The church bought the building for $10,251 in 1997 and received estimates for as much as $90,000 to remove the asbestos ceiling and floor tiles from the 46-year-old structure. In actuality, the cost has been a little less than half that amount. The final phase of the removal will be completed this month. Ken Karyl Elementary was built in the early 1960s to avoid integrating the schools, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. But when schools were ultimately integrated, the Ken Karyl facility was abandoned and left empty until Family Life Cathedral purchased the asbestos-ridden structure in 1997.
For the full story, go to the Vicksburg Post.
