Cole Bay: --- Parents and students of the Starlight Education Center can breathe a sigh of relief as the school is set to open sometime this week. Management of the educational center told parents yesterday afternoon that several businesses came together in finding a solution for the school. One of those persons in the private sector is former civil servant Roberto Richardson who is spearheading the relief for the school. Mrs. Carmen Hodge told her parents that there was absolutely nothing more she could have done to reopen the school since she lost over 400,000 in investments over the years. She said the assistance that is given to the school is nothing but God in disguise.
Richardson said he was contacted by a particular businessman who wanted to give financial assistance to the school after they read the newspapers on January 9. He said since then he has been working tirelessly to find a solution to the problem. That solution he said was to find the rent arrears that the school did not pay. Richardson said the money is already in place for the arrears as well as for the rest of the school year. However, he did not want to set a date for the re-opening since he still has some key elements to work out with the proprietor of the school building as early as today.
Richardson also explained that he as well as the management of the school in the person of Carmen Hodge is working very closely with the education department to determine the future of the school which caters to undocumented children on St. Maarten.
The former civil servant said the island government is trying its best to implement compulsory education and that the monies for such are already in the 2009 budget.
However, he said as a St. Maartener he is thankful for schools like Starlight Education and the others that have taken on the responsibility to educate the undocumented children. "While education is the responsibility of the island government I personally must give credit to Mrs. Hodge who has been trying to provide education to so many children without the necessary assistance. As for me I am stuck with the school now since only three weeks ago I realized how valuable schools such as this are to St. Maarten especially to know that the Starlight Education existed since 1992." Richardson said.
Parents and students of the Starlight Education Center are asked to monitor the newspapers and radio for the exact date of opening Mrs. Hodge said.