The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY $40m has been spent by the government on school repairs across the country, with a $20m budget for the continuation of repair work for the upcoming fiscal year, according to Education Minister Jeff Lloyd.

“COVID-19 has wreaked havoc with our completion timelines for several of our school repair projects,” Mr Lloyd told the House of Assembly while delivering his budget contribution yesterday.

“To date, for the fiscal year 2020-2021, we have spent a total of $39m on school repairs – $26.3m in New Providence, $6m in Grand Bahama, $4m in Abaco, and $2.1m in the Family Islands.

“As we know, of course, the repairs on those islands – Abaco and Grand Bahama – are still ongoing.”

Outlining his ministry’s budget for school repairs for the upcoming fiscal year, he added: “We have budgeted $20m for school repairs, inclusive of $6m for critical structural repairs in five of our New Providence schools and $2m for Family Island schools and cottages.”

Yesterday, Mr Lloyd also revealed his ministry’s plans to construct two new schools on Inagua and East Grand Bahama, noting that officials intend to break ground on the respective sites later this year.

The projects are estimated to cost the government some $15m.

He said: “I am proud to say this, we intend to break ground during the third quarter of this year on two new comprehensive schools – one in Matthew Town, Inagua, and the other in High Rock, East Grand Bahama.

“The reason that we are going to complete those two new schools–though it will not happen in this term–is because we will continue in the next term. It is estimated that when these two schools are completed, it would cost the government $15m.”