The use of asbestos in new construction is not as widespread as it used to be, though it is still not banned in the United Sates. Older schools are likely to have been built with asbestos-containing construction products, particularly in locations that required heat and fire protection.

Asbestos-containing products were often used in schools for areas needing acoustic or thermal insulation and fire protection:

• Acoustical plasters and finishers in ceilings and walls of classrooms and halls
• Thermal insulation materials, particularly for insulating pipes, boilers and furnaces
• Cement board around boilers and furnaces
• Sheet and tile flooring in classrooms and halls
• Heavy fabric for use as auditorium fireproof curtains, and in school laboratories for products such as safety gloves and asbestos pads for Bunsen burners