Body Found At North Smithfield High School, All Schools Delayed

NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI — A body was found at North Smithfield High School early Wednesday morning, prompting a district-wide one-hour delay to allow police to investigate. The body was not that of a student, school officials said in a statement.

According to the school department, a bus driver spotted what appeared to be a body near the high school. When police investigated, they found the body of a man, believed to have killed himself by hanging.

Because of transportation scheduling issues, there was no way to delay only the middle and high schools, officials added.

"While we realize that delaying of school was last minute, we wanted to allow the police time to do their work, which is in this case, was best done without students watching," the statement said in part. "We apologize for any inconvenience, and hope you understand the circumstances."

School officials assured concerned parents that all students will be safe at school on Wednesday.