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The Government has allocated an additional $2.1 billion to repair 266 schools damaged by hurricane Beryl in July 2024.

An assessment of all institutions determined that 364 schools were impacted. Some 111 schools were severely damaged during the hurricane’s passage, for which $2.5 billion was spent to carry out repairs.

Schools which sustained moderate damage and minor damage were classified as priority two and three, respectively.

Addressing Monday’s (August 4) Regional Leaders’ Conference, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, disclosed that schools in priority groups two and three will be the focus of this round of repairs.

“The Ministry has been lobbying for those schools and I’m very happy that the Ministry of Finance [and the Public Service] has provided an extra sum of money for us to spend. We also have 47 whose scope of works expanded from the Hurricane Beryl initial allocation,” she said.

Dr. Morris Dixon said the allocation will also cover the cost of the expanded scope of works.

The conference was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, under the theme, ‘Innovation in Practice: Transforming Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century – The Region One Experience’.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kasan Troupe, shared that as the Ministry awaited a second allocation, repairs were conducted at some priority one and two schools, from the maintenance budget.

“What that means is that the number of schools that needed attention reduced under tier two and three because we attended to them through our maintenance budget. It also means that we also delayed some of those schools that are already on the list,” Dr. Troupe noted.

She advised that the Ministry’s maintenance budget has increased, moving from $450 million to $628 million.

“That will help us to catch up with those schools that we delayed, because we prioritised the tier two and three schools that were damaged by Beryl,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary further advised that maintenance activities will take place at 202 schools during the summer holiday.

“We have $100 million that we have set aside to treat with termites and that is about 103 schools that will be impacted in the first round,” Dr. Troupe said.