fran chess ka chambers. thanks for being with us. we did not need a pandemic to realize what we need. reporter: from inadequate ventilation. the windows. this is the only ventilation that the school actually has. reporter: to antiquated heating. we have a boiler system that runs on oil that is close to 50 years old. reporter: for lighting and asbestos beneath floor surfaces. changing these floors has an environmental impact given what s under these floors. reporter: superintendent roger leon points out a few problems plaguing the school. when was it built? 1888. reporter: leon says 29 of the district s 64 schools are over 100 years old. throughout the years renovations have been made, but the fixes, he says, have been more like band- aids.