The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC schools on Grand Bahama did not require major repairs this year because of previous repair work that was done following Hurricane Matthew, according to officials on the island.

Quinton Laroda, area vice-president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers, visited a few schools this week and is expected to tour some others on Thursday and Friday.

"I looked at a few schools today (Wednesday), and work is underway, but major repairs had been done after the hurricane around November and December, and so I suspect there won't be as much (repair) work needed as in the previous years," he said.

The schools visited by Mr Laroda were the Jack Hayward Senior and Jack Hayward Junior High Schools in Freeport, and the Bartlett Hill Primary School in Eight Mile Rock.

He said workers were on site at the Jack Hayward Junior High campus on Settler's Way.

"I also spoke with one or two principals and the superintendent, and there are no major concerns. But, I will do an official tour of the schools tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday.

Last October, several government schools on Grand Bahama had sustained severe storm damage, especially the Bartlett Hill Primary, Martin Town Primary and the Eight Mile Rock High Schools in Eight Mile Rock, and the Lewis Yard Primary School in Hunters, as well as schools in Freeport, including St Georges' High. However, major hurricane repairs had been completed at all the schools.

The Tribune contacted Harcourt Brown, undersecretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, who confirmed that contractors have been mobilised and are in the schools effecting the necessary repairs to schools in Grand Bahama and Bimini.

He believes that school repairs will be completed in time for the reopening of schools on Grand Bahama in September.

"There is going to be inspections carried out in a few days... and one or two contractors have already reported that they are pretty close to completion. And so, we are optimistic they will get it done within the timeframe allotted," he said.

"Repairs were going on in the schools post-Matthew which was a separate set of repairs, and so the repairs they are engaged in now would have been just your usual wear and tear, and some bathrooms need to be re-outfitted and upgraded."

Mr Brown stated that all the scopes were done in accordance with the principals of each school following assessments by the Ministry of Education.

When asked the cost of school repairs this year, the undersecretary said he did not know the figure offhand.