The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Grand Bahama MP Frazette Gibson has challenged the government’s plan to build a new public high school on Grand Bahama, arguing that the island’s falling population and current enrolment levels do not justify another campus while existing schools need major repairs and special-needs students need greater support.

Her criticism came days after Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said the project was already in the design phase and defended it as an investment in Grand Bahama’s future growth.

Making her contribution to the 2026/2027 Budget Debate in the House of Assembly, Ms Gibson said the budget includes $1.5m in borrowing from the Caribbean Development Bank for a Grand Bahama school and that the budget communication foreshadows a new high school for the island.

"I question the rationale for the planned construction of a new public high school for Grand Bahama, because the island's population, as well as the head count at our existing public schools, does not justify it,” she said.

Ms Gibson cited census data showing Grand Bahama’s population has fallen by nine percent since 2010 to 46,740 residents.

She also pointed to enrolment figures for public junior and senior high schools on the island: Eight Mile Rock High School has 236 students, St George’s High School has 544, Jack Hayward Senior High School has 446, Jack Hayward Junior High School has 441, Sister Mary Patricia Russell School has 455, and Holmes Rock Junior High School has 202 students.

"My view, based on these numbers, is that the construction of a new government high school on Grand Bahama is not a sensible use of public funds, and it does not best serve the educational needs of the island's students," she said.

"Instead, public funds for Grand Bahama should be used to bring much-needed upgrades to the existing public schools, well beyond the scope of work that occurs during the annual summer school repair programme."

Ms Gibson said more funding should be directed to Beacon School, Grand Bahama’s campus for students with special needs.

"Additionally, public funds ought to be directed to the development of necessary state-of-the-art resources and the hiring of additional trained and qualified specialists for the Beacon School, the island's campus dedicated to educating our children with special needs," she said.

"There is much-needed help for that school in terms of expansion and the personnel."

She said students with special needs deserve greater access to technology and specialised instruction, while educators should receive the resources needed to produce better outcomes.

"Grand Bahama does not need another high school building," Ms Gibson said.

"What we need is an administration keenly focused on building the promised house in each and every student through the provisions of the resources they actually need to become well-rounded critical thinkers who can become our nation's innovators and creatives."

Ms Gibson also criticised the government over the unfinished Jack Hayward High School gymnasium, which was damaged during Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

"Our young people are the heartbeats of our future," she said.

"One example stands before us. For example, the Jack Haywood High School gymnasium, damaged by Hurricane Dorian, still remains incomplete. Generations of young people have been deprived of a facility that could foster athletic excellence, personal growth, and community engagement."

"Our youth deserve action and not excuses. They deserve facilities that allow them to develop their skills, their talents, pursue their dreams, and reach their potential."

She also sought details about a proposed Young Innovators Club announced by Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, asking how many young people were enrolled, whether the programme had started, where it would be based, how it would be funded, who would manage it, and what content would be delivered.

Ms Gibson further called for tighter accountability in school repair projects, saying contractors should be held responsible for the quality of their work and school administrators should have a meaningful role in certifying completed projects.

In a recent interview with ZNS Northern Service, Mr Cooper defended the need for a new high school, saying the island’s future growth depends on strong educational infrastructure.

"One of the first questions always asked when someone is contemplating relocating or investing in the island is the quality of education, so we are not building a school for today, we are building a school for tomorrow," Mr Cooper said.

"So if we look at all the investment in the pipelines, that would be more people returning to Grand Bahama to live and work, and education is fundamental to the growth and development of our economy.”

Mr Cooper said a site had already been selected and the project was advancing, though he did not disclose the cost.

"These was a visitation and a selection of a location. We have started the process already, it's in the design phases etcetera," he said.