In Vesoul, a high school was closed for safety reasons due to a risk of collapse.

The decision, taken Thursday evening before the extended weekend of May 8, is "brutal" but "absolutely necessary" for "the safety of the people" who study and work at the Haberges high school, said the prefect of Haute-Saône, Serge Jacob, at a press conference.

"Closing the premises" does not, however, mean "closing the high school" (general and technological), clarified Nathalie Albert-Moretti, rector of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. In order to "maintain educational continuity for students and the administration of exams," high school students will benefit from distance learning starting Tuesday, then "progressively" from in-person instruction "at relocation sites" such as, for example, other schools in the city.

The building, "a recent structure" built 34 years ago, was under surveillance "like all those in the region", said Jérôme Durain (PS), president of the Regional Council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Cracks were observed in 2014 in various locations, notably on the school's forecourt, and monitoring devices were installed to track their development. In February 2025, "we found that the load-bearing structure was in poor condition," added Mr. Durain.

Further diagnostics were then launched and an expert report delivered on Thursday revealed that "defects directly compromise the stability of the structure and the safety of its occupants," the elected official noted.

According to him, "the foundations are the problem (...): the condition of the concrete, the base of the building would not be compatible with a seismic risk".

A new expert assessment has been commissioned and the Regional Council, in charge of managing high schools, "will look at any potential responsibilities when the time comes".

The situation at this high school, built on clay-limestone marl soil on the outskirts of Vesoul, could be linked "to the effects of climate change (on the soil), to seismic activity," or even to "original defects," the regional president explained. "We are in a state of shock. No one expected to be forced to make such a radical decision on Thursday evening," he confided.