Hundreds of Kensington High School students will begin the 2026-2027 school year Monday at a temporary location in Philadelphia’s Mayfair neighborhood as the school deals with an asbestos issue. A judge ruled Friday that the district can temporarily relocate 415 Kensington students and 90 staff members to a vacant former middle school building. A new “Kensington High School” sign now partially covers the faded name of the middle school that closed in 2022. Lincoln High School, which houses around 2,200 students, is located on the other side of the building. Some neighbors have raised concerns about increased congestion and the influx of high school students in the area, particularly with the two schools located close together. Kensington typically has four safety officers. The district added a fifth officer at the temporary location, as well as a sixth part-time officer for arrival and dismissal. The district also released a security plan Friday. Neighbor Luis Orozco said he still has concerns despite those measures. “Terrible. This is too much. Too close, too tight for the kids and the school is the same thing. I believe… not good,” Orozco said. Orozco said he plans to be outside the temporary Kensington High School location around 7:30 a.m. Monday as students arrive. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less