CLEARWATER, Fla. — Crews are searching for lost graves from an African-American cemetery in Clearwater.

On Thursday, ground-penetrating radar analysis started at the old location of Curtis Fundamental-Palmetto Elementary School on Holt Avenue. 

The scans will look for human remains from the North Greenwood Cemetery, which was previously in that area. 

The former structure that was the school was scheduled to be demolished to build a homeless center. But those plans are on hold until the Pinellas County School District and Clearwater officials verify if any graves remain at the site. 

Unlike other recent grave discoveries in Tampa, the City of Clearwater knew they were burial sites on the property dating back to the 1950s. 

The school district got the property through a land swap agreement with the city. But before the school district took the site over the city had removed what it thought were all the graves from the cemetery.

Recently, it was discovered that perhaps not all of the graves were moved. 

That led city officials to hire Cardno Engineering to use the radar at the property. The scans will take place on school grounds, as well as a new road nearby which also may have old gravesites.

The school district said it will work closely with the NAACP once the scan results are back.