Jamaica repairs 65 schools damaged by Hurricane Melissa

Jamaica's Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information has reported that 65 of the 306 priority-one schools damaged by Hurricane Melissa have been fully repaired. Latoya Harris-Ghartey, Executive Director of the National Education Trust (NET), stated that 93 schools are nearing completion, with an additional 26 severely damaged institutions scheduled for repair by the end of December.

The recovery process is being guided by new building standards introduced in December 2025 to improve resilience against future storms. This includes structural upgrades such as replacing zinc roofing with concrete slabs to withstand Category 5 hurricanes and improving classroom cooling. The recovery plan is part of a broader timeline spanning 2026 to 2030 to ensure long-term durability.

To ensure accountability and transparency, the Ministry has established the Hurricane Melissa School Infrastructure Recovery and Resilience Oversight Committee. Chaired by attorney Rochelle Cameron, this independent one-year committee will monitor the reconstruction efforts, providing assessments to the Minister of Education and the public to address potential delays or quality concerns.