Pataskala Elementary closed Monday for emergency inspections

PATASKALA - Pataskala Elementary is closed Monday for emergency inspections, according to a post on the Southwest Licking Schools Facebook page.

The district stated in the post that pieces of the ceiling fell during the school day Friday. No students were reported injured.

"The building will be closed Monday to ensure it has been inspected and is safe for both students and staff to return," the district wrote in the post.

The building houses the district's second- and third-grade students. Ben Richards, the district's director of communications and community engagement, said nothing has been decided about temporarily moving students to other buildings for the rest of the week if inspectors determine the building unsafe.

"There have been preliminary discussions, but we are waiting to meet with the structural engineers before we go too far into the planning process," Richards said. "We obviously are hoping the issue is isolated to that classroom."

Community members questioned the long-term viability of the building on the district's Facebook page Sunday.

Richards noted the building levy passed in 2017 includes money to renovate the three existing elementary buildings. He said renovations, however, will not be scheduled until after new buildings are built, which will probably take "about three years."