PHILIPSBURG:--- The National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) has marked a milestone in St. Maarten’s post-Hurricane Irma recovery with the completion of the school repair activity.
Funded by the Sint Maarten Trust Fund and financed by the Dutch government, the activity restored resilience and safety to 19 schools damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Repairs to schools included structural reinforcements, roof repairs, electrical work, and installing hurricane shutters. These repairs have enhanced safety for students and staff, strengthened the schools’ ability to withstand future hurricanes, and enabled schools to open sooner once a storm has passed.
The works to repair the schools began in 2021 following a technical assessment in 2020, coordinated with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport (MECYS). NRPB was tasked by the Government to focus on 19 subsidized schools which were repaired in three prioritized batches to minimize educational disruption. An Education Logistics Plan was developed, incorporating partial relocations, online learning, and staggered school days, as full relocations were not feasible. To ensure long-term safety, the NRPB will continue engaging with schools for six months post-completion to address any defects that arise during the liability period.
Oralie Boirard, Manager of the Division for Educational Innovation within MECYS, expressed satisfaction with the completion of ERP school repairs, noting, "Although there are still a few schools outside the scope of the ERP that are to be repaired by the government, most of our school facilities under the school repair program are now fully operational. Students no longer have to face leaky roofs or relocations." She emphasized the importance of maintenance, stating, "It is my opinion that one of our biggest challenges now is to ensure that the schools are properly maintained."
The NRPB, on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten, was tasked with addressing hurricane-related damage, with the specific objective of focusing on repairs. As a result, full-scale renovations were beyond the scope of this activity. As the repairs progressed, more issues outside the project's scope and budget were identified in some schools. Where feasible, the NRPB extended support to address these challenges after completing the critical repairs. The primary goal was to ensure that each school could resume adequate operations following the necessary repairs.
La-Vaune Hodge-Henry, Acting Principal of Sundial School, shared, “Now that construction is finished, and we can see repairs like new ceilings and windows in place, we're happy and the students are relieved. The only issue we face now is with the electrical system, which remains an ongoing challenge due to the old wiring."
The NRPB acknowledges that while upgrading electrical systems that were not damaged by the storm were not part of their directive, there are continued challenges in some schools with aging infrastructure. Where necessary, NRPB has increased the safety of electrical infrastructure by installing new electrical panels.
With the school repairs complete, focus now shifts to the repair of 13 school gyms. These repairs will address damage and enhance the resilience of these facilities, continuing the commitment of the Trust Fund to building a stronger, more resilient educational environment for Sint Maarten's youth.
