COVINGTON, Ky. — Heavy machinery leveled much of Latonia Elementary School's gym Tuesday after a portion of the building's roof collapsed New Year's Eve.
The demolition came a day before the entire district entered virtual learning to give district officials time to determine when the elementary students can return to Latonia or find an alternative location for classes, according to superintendent Alvin Garrison.
We stood alongside several parents watching the walls come down and heard their concerns about what could come next.
WATCH: We talk with concerned parents about the future of Latonia Elementary and the Covington Independent School District
"It's kind of wild," said Rachel Kenuehl as her son biked around the school's parking lot.
Kenuehl said she was confident that district officials would find out what caused the collapse and get her kid's education back on track. Other parents, like Misty Searcy, said they were frustrated by what they saw as a lack of communication from the district as they attempt to make plans for child care.
"I mean, they need to go back to routine. They're driving me nuts at home," Searcy said with a laugh. "You know, I don't have a babysitter on the whim."
#NOW: A good portion of the roof and wall of the Latonia Elementary gym are now gone or in a rubble pile.
— Sean DeLancey (@SeanDeLanceyTV) January 6, 2026
This comes after a partial roof collapse last week.
The district tells me this is “part of the process” of evaluating the building.@WCPO pic.twitter.com/0UThGA2aNZ
"Safety and structural integrity," Kenuehl said. "I mean, the kids are in there all the time."
When we asked Garrison whether there would be an effort to inspect all buildings in the district at a brief press conference Friday, he didn't indicate anything unusual was in the works.
"We do that on a regular basis, monthly," he said.
The entire district will be in non-traditional instruction (NTI) through Friday. A district spokesperson told us Tuesday that Kentucky Education Department regulations require that when one school building enters NTI, all of the other school buildings in the district follow suit.
It's unclear when the district will announce a long-term plan for schooling at Latonia Elementary and the rest of the district.
