Salem Middle School closed indefinitely after ceiling collapse

9-year-old Amajiah is outside playing instead of inside doing homework because her school Salem Middle has been closed this week.

"The kids came home Friday saying they didn't have school so I didn't believe them because I didn't get a letter sent home or a recording," said Amajiah's mother Jakeya Kirkland. She says she didn't even get an automated call from the school until 5 o'clock Sunday evening

"Saying that they had an inspection and the ceiling fell so the kids don't have school Monday through Wednesday and they'll return to school Thursday," said Kirkland.

Destiny Daniel's daughter is a seventh grader here. The automated call was so unexpected she didn't' have time to find a place for her child to go.

"At 12 years old I have to leave you home and I don't want to and I'm calling making sure you're ok. It's an inconvenience," said Daniel.

The Superintendent of the Salem City School District told us on the phone that there was a ceiling collapse in room c11 and the school Development Authority advised them to vacate the building because it was an imminent hazard. He did not say why the ceiling came down.

Tameka Austin is upset that word of the incident first spread over social media, she says, before the district informed parents.

"I know things happen but I think the right way to handle it would be to have some kind of meeting to address these issues and everybody's on the same page," said Austin.

Starting Wednesday the district plans to send 3rd graders to nearby John Fenwick Academy and 8th graders will be going to Salem High School.

Grades 4 through 7 will start at Fenwick Plaza in the Fen Law Building Thursday if the Department of Community Affairs approves it for occupancy.

Austin isn't happy that her daughter will have to walk a mile to Salem High School .

"People still are like where are my kids going? They're still confused," said Austin.

District officials say they don't know yet when repairs will be made to Salem Middle.