New Hampshire School Fears Ceiling Collapse in 3 Classrooms

Three classrooms at a New Hampshire school have been closed after concern that the ceilings might collapse.

Superintendent Jim Hayes closed three first-floor classrooms at Newmarket Junior and Senior High School on Friday after a report from an engineer that the ceilings are pulling away from their supports.

The rooms are in the oldest part of the school, which was built in the 1920s. They have been used for French, math and art classes.

A custodian noticed the plaster ceiling in one classroom was crumbling on Jan. 4. Engineers determined that the old first-floor ceiling is all that holds up the more modern ceiling grids of lights and tiles.

Hayes said both ceiling layers will have to be replaced in the three closed rooms and in eight or nine others.