ALAMEDA — The future of Donald Lum Elementary School is uncertain after an investigation found it could collapse during an earthquake, prompting officials to recommend closing the campus and sending its students to other schools this fall.

Trustees with the Alameda Unified School District will review the issue during a special meeting Friday, when they will also gather input from parents, teachers and others.

“I know this is terrible news to hear,” Superintendent Sean McPhetridge said. “Our schools are our communities, and Lum Elementary School is a fabulous community. But as a staff we will be recommending closing the site in 2017-18 due to our concern for the safety of students and staff.”

A structural engineer testing soil for the construction of a new building at the campus at 1801 Sandcreek Way discovered it was subject to liquefaction, putting the school at risk during an earthquake, according to district officials.

Five additional samples were taken around the campus, all with the same result.

It remains uncertain where Lum students would be sent this fall if trustees decide to shutter the school. Parents would likely get assignment letters in June.

“We are fully committed to doing everything in our power to make this process of fact-finding, community engagement, and decision-making as smooth as possible,” school board President Gary Lym said.

In the wake of the discovery that the soil at Lum was subject to liquefaction, geotechnical engineers tested soil at other elementary schools and found no safety risk, district officials said.

But the results from Wood Middle School, which is located near Lum on Grand Street, are still being evaluated and the structural engineer has made no recommendation.

Liquefaction occurs when sandy or silty soil loosens during strong ground shaking and becomes like a liquid. Afterward, the ground can settle unevenly, which can result in a building collapsing or partially collapsing.

About 468 students attend Lum, according to Zillow, the online real estate database.

The special school board meeting on Friday will begin at 6:30 p.m. and take place at Wood Middle School, 420 Grand St.

Trustees are expected to continue reviewing Lum’s future at their May 9 meeting with the goal of making a decision at their May 23 meeting. Both meetings will take place at City Hall.