ALBANY — The Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology, a magnet elementary school in the Albany City School District, will be closed for the upcoming school year because of asbestos problems.

The 500 students in pre-kindergarten to grade six will be moved and the school will remain closed for the year while asbestos remediation is done, according to Ron Lesko, a spokesman for the school district.

The students will likely be moved to the former Philip Schuyler Elementary School on Western Avenue.

When the school year ended in June, work began at Giffen Elementary School and the magnet academy as part of a facility improvement project. The academy was shut down and work crews started window replacement and a small asbestos abatement project.

"In doing this and other work, they found there were places that we believed to be remediated in late 1980s that were not remediated for asbestos," said Lesko.

Air samples were taken at the school, but none tested positive for asbestos, he said.

"There is a perception of asbestos and health risks. We don't want to take any possibility of putting anyone at risk and want to protect students and staff," said Lesko. "We will remediate the building properly and have work complete for 2009-2010."

Meetings will be held with parents on Friday and Monday to discuss the closing.