Schools In St. Ann And Trelawny Continue Post-hurricane Melissa Cleanup

In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, schools across St. Ann and Trelawny are actively restoring facilities to ensure students can safely return to classes.

Brown’s Town Community College in St. Ann and Westwood High School for Girls in Trelawny, are leading the charge in repairing damages sustained during the hurricane, which affected roofs, classrooms, dormitories, and other essential infrastructure.

Principal of Westwood High School, Karen Francis told JIS News that multiple buildings including staff flats, the clinic, and dormitories were severely damaged.

“Hurricane Melissa ravaged Westwood. We lost many roofs including those of the principal’s and vice principal’s flats, the staff room, three quad classrooms, and the clinic, which was being reroofed, that also went,” she said.

The principal also pointed out that some of the roofs destroyed during Hurricane Melissa, were also damaged by Hurricane Beryl last year.

Ms. Francis informed that preliminary losses at the school are estimated at $298 million.

Cleanup efforts have been ongoing, with support from students, parents, alumni, and volunteers from other schools, such as Jamaica College and Kingston College in Kingston.

Also lending a hand were cadets from Ocho Rios High in St. Ann, and a team from the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Region three.

Ms. Francis told JIS News that the school is aiming to reopen for some students in short order.

“We are aiming to reopen for Grades 11 to 13 on Monday, November 24. We have been removing hazardous materials and ensuring that classrooms are in a state of readiness for learning despite the destruction,” she informed.

At Brown’s Town Community College, Principal Claudeth Haughton informed that two of the college’s campuses experienced extensive damage.

“Across two campuses, we have 31 buildings, and 30 were impacted, with at least 50 percent suffering total roof loss. We also had damage to windows, furniture, and equipment,” she said.

Clean-up at the college is being supported by teams from the Ministry of Education, the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ), Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Foundation in partnership with the VM Foundation and Sherwin-Williams, alumni, the Social Development Commission and the Students’ Loan Bureau.

“We are grateful for the overwhelming support from the public. Even though we are not yet fully restored, we are in a better place to welcome our students back,” Principal Haughton said.

Both principals expressed appreciation for the Ministry of Education Region three, led by Regional Director Karlene Segree, for coordinating support and facilitating the deployment of teams to assist in recovery efforts.