PHILIPSBURG– The National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) has successfully completed a major school repair initiative aimed at restoring resilience and safety to 19 schools damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Funded by the Sint Maarten Trust Fund and the Dutch government, the project included structural reinforcements, roof repairs, electrical upgrades, and the installation of hurricane shutters.
The repairs, which began in 2021 after a technical assessment, have significantly improved the schools’ ability to withstand future storms and ensured a safer environment for students and staff. The phased repair approach minimized disruption to education, using partial relocations, online learning, and staggered school days.
Oralie Boirard, Manager of the Division for Educational Innovation at MECYS, expressed satisfaction with the repairs, noting that while some schools still need government repairs, most are now fully operational. Boirard emphasized the need for ongoing maintenance to preserve the improvements.
Acting Principal of Sundial School, La-Vaune Hodge-Henry, praised the repairs but highlighted continued challenges with aging electrical systems, an issue outside of the NRPB’s repair scope.
With school repairs complete, the focus now shifts to restoring 13 school gyms, further building a resilient educational environment for St. Maarten’s youth, the NRPB said via press release.
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