SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - The Winter Hill Community Innovation School in Somerville will be closed Friday after a small section of concrete fell into a stairwell inside the building, school and city officials said.
Officials said the concrete fell outside school operating hours, while the school was unoccupied.
The stairwell was later closed to students and staff while a structural engineer was brought in and while city Department of Public Works staff responded, according to officials.
Officials said DPW crews had “conducted minor repairs” and had been monitoring the building’s interior as of Thursday night.
The planned closure on Friday now comes “out of an abundance of caution,” according to officials, to let engineers “conduct a more thorough review of the building.”
In a message signed by Somerville’s Interim Superintendent of Schools Jeff Curley, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and school principal Courtney Gosselin, officials said they are working on a plan to temporarily relocate classrooms into other buildings if needed.
“As always, the safety and well being of our students and staff remains our top priority,” officials said. “Canceling classes and closing a school are always our last choice, however in the interest of safety we have determined the best option for tomorrow is to allow for a full building review.”
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)