Latonia Elementary will reopen for normal, in-person instruction on Tuesday, Jan. 13 after a partial structural collapse in the gym almost two weeks ago.
The remaining students throughout the rest of the district will return to normal, in-person instruction on Monday, Jan. 12. Superintendent Alvin Garrison announced the return Thursday afternoon.
“We are pleased with the work that is being done at Latonia Elementary School and excited to see our students back in the building next week,” said Garrison. “We know that students learn best in the classroom and we are confident that Latonia Elementary School is a safe place to learn.”
The school’s gym underwent a partial structural collapse on New Year’s Eve, and crews used heavy machinery to level much of what was left of it on Jan. 6. The entire district was moved onto virtual learning to give district officials time to determine when the elementary students could return to Latonia or find an alternative location for classes, according to the superintendent.
Structural Systems Repair Group and Advantage Structural Engineers were brought in to assess the damage, engage in a controlled demolition of the affected areas and perform stabilization work. The workers were wrapping up much of their work as of Thursday, according to the district’s announcement.
“Advantage’s assessment of the main school building has not uncovered any concerns with structure, and the building has been verified to not have been jeopardized by the partial collapse of the gym roof,” according to the district’s announcement. “It should be understood that the gym structure and the main school structure are two different structural systems that do not share the same characteristics, materials, or design. Therefore, whatever the cause of the collapse, it does not correlate directly to the main school building structure.”
Advantage will continue to perform final assessments to ensure safety and conduct weatherproofing and other security mitigations throughout the remainder of the week. Servpro, a national cleaning firm, will engage in clean up in consultation with engineers, insurance reps, safety contractors and Covington FD to ensure the building is safe for return on Tuesday.
The district’s announcement did not elicit the exact cause of the collapse, and district officials were not immediately available to comment. However, the district will hold an open house at Latonia Elementary on Monday, Jan. 12 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to answer questions and share updates.
You can read the district’s full announcement below.
Sean DeLancey of WCPO contributed reporting to this brief.