Lehighton Area School District continues to seek answers for structural concerns at its elementary center.

In November, district officials reported that multiple bricks above large bay windows on the ground level of the school, which opened in late 2018, broke loose.

The focal point of the investigation revolves around the lintels, essential beams supporting the weight above windows and doors.

“We received an email from Lobar Inc. on Dec. 26 and they indicated no issues with the material or installation,” Justin Smith, Lehighton Area School District’s facilities director, said during a school board workshop Monday night. “They recommended bringing in an external contractor for a thorough evaluation so we’re essentially at the pointing fingers stage of the whole process.”

The dispute, Superintendent Dr. Christina Fish said, is currently over whether the bricks were adequately filled with cement to support the lintels.

Two types of bricks were used, one red and one gray.

“They took a sample of one of the lintels and the broken section in question did have mud in the joints,” Smith said. “I requested additional samples to be taken since we had so many areas of the lintels that were broken. They sampled the red block, which did have cracking but not a full blow out. I also want samples of the gray block taken.”

Smith said that when the issue was initially discovered, it was a gray block that appeared “almost fully blown out.”

“I think (Lobar’s) assessment was because one of the bricks was filled that all of them were and I don’t necessarily agree,” Smith said.

The controversy has escalated, with Fish stating that the district has sent all of the documentation and evidence it has so far to its solicitor, Fox Rothschild.

“We are doing that in preparation for any kind of legal dispute as to responsibility for repairs and where we go next,” Fish said.

The cost to build the school was $33 million.