Bishop Feild Elementary shut down after concrete collapses from gym ceiling

School is out for at least the next two months at Bishop Feild Elementary in St. John's after a concrete section of roof collapsed.

Part of the school's gymnasium roof caved in Monday afternoon. No students or staff were in it at the time.

"Our focus today is on the contingency plan of what happens to the school community in the days ahead," said Tony Stack, interim CEO of the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District.  

"We've had a structural engineer in there today at the location and we cannot ensure the safety of students given the circumstances, particularly in the gymnasium and the auditorium above the gymnasium."

Students will have to attend the former School for the Deaf on Topsail Road as a temporary measure, until at least Christmas break.

The new location is not immediately available, meaning students will be staying home until Oct. 31.

The district says options for transportation to and from the new location are being considered. The two schools are about five kilometres away from each other.

"It's a major, major disruption to the families, to the students, and the staff of that building," Stack said. "We will do everything in our power to make sure [the move] happens as quickly as possible, as efficently as possible and that we have a welcoming school environment come next Tuesday."

The school is the oldest established in St. John's, with construction on its current building starting in 1928. Up until Monday, Bishop Feild had an enrolment of 273 students.

"Safety is the most paramount concern," Stack said. "It is an older structure and that is a concern of ours right now."