Only Cg. 215,000 is proposed for maintenance at seven public schools, while structural assessments, critical repairs and recruitment remain essential to improving conditions.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs has acknowledged that the proposed 2027 maintenance allocation for Sint Maarten’s seven public schools is insufficient to address the full backlog of repairs.
Responding to MPs during Central Committee discussions on the draft 2027 budget, Gumbs identified urgent building needs, substantial vacancies in public education and limited capacity within the Department of Education itself.
Her responses outline a system trying to maintain classroom instruction and advance reforms while facing infrastructure problems, personnel shortages, and limited financial flexibility.
Cg. 215,000 Falls Short of Maintenance Needs
Gumbs said the proposed maintenance allocation for the seven public schools is Cg. 215,000. It will support interventions, but cannot cover all outstanding repairs.
A public tender for structural assessments is in progress, with a closing date of October 30, 2026. The initial tender attracted no bids, prompting an extension.
The assessments are intended to establish building conditions, identify and prioritize work, and provide cost estimates for a structured preventive and corrective maintenance program.
Until that work is completed, government will not have the assessment-based priority list needed to guide further repairs across all public schools.
Gumbs identified Marie Genevieve de Weever School, Ruby Labega Primary School and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School as having the most urgent outstanding needs.
Those needs include electrical supply upgrades required for air conditioning, roof repairs, waterproofing and drainage work.
Critical Repairs Carry Conditional Completion Targets
At Marie Genevieve de Weever School, bathroom and plumbing repairs, replacement of window panes, minor repairs and the electrical upgrade required for air conditioning are targeted for completion in the first quarter of 2027.
Waterproof sealing of the concrete roof at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School and plumbing repairs at Leonald Conner School are also targeted for the first quarter.
Air-conditioning replacements at Leonald Conner School and Sint Maarten Vocational Training School are targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The roof repairs and upgrade at Ruby Labega Primary School are expected to be publicly tendered before the end of 2026. Gumbs said no completion date has been set yet.
These dates remain subject to procurement and execution. They therefore represent targets, not guarantees that the work will be finished within those periods.
The school security and cleaning tenders covering 2026–2031 have closed and are under evaluation. New contracts are expected to begin on November 1, 2026, subject to completion of the evaluation and award process.
Public Education Has 43 Budgeted Vacancies
Gumbs said the Division of Public Education has 43 budgeted vacancies for 2027, covering the Educational Care Center, teachers, educational assistants, student care coordinators, substitute teachers and administrative support.
When teaching positions remain vacant, or teachers are absent, school management and other staff members provide coverage.
That arrangement maintains instruction but adds responsibilities to existing personnel.
The Ministry is working to reintroduce a substitute teacher program, with three positions budgeted for 2027, to reduce instructional time lost through teacher absences.
The Ministry also budgeted five educational assistant positions to strengthen support for students.
Gumbs acknowledged that expanding assistance remains constrained by the available budget.
Behavioral Support Aims to Return Students to Mainstream Education
The Educational Care Center is being established to provide holistic support for students whose behavioral challenges require additional intervention.
Its stated objective is to address those challenges and support reintegration into mainstream education.
Public schools also provide remedial instruction, counseling, and assistance through student care coordinators. Cases requiring support beyond a school’s capacity are referred to the Student Support Services Division.
The practical test for these commitments will be whether the budgeted positions are filled and whether students can access support when they need it.
Education Department Itself Is Under Strain
Gumbs also described significant staffing constraints within the Department of Education, which handles funding, student transportation, and legislative matters.
The function book provides for 18 functions, with 14 budgeted for 2027. Although the budget records 12 filled full-time-equivalent positions, two personnel are working in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet and the ECYS Cabinet.
The department therefore functions with 10 staff members. At the time of her response, three were on sick leave and one on maternity leave.
Gumbs said only four policy staff members were on active duty. A policy officer had been recruited, but formal placement remained outstanding.
The department urgently needs a financial controller and additional policy officers.
Consequently, it is prioritizing the most urgent matters, while progress is slower than desired.
Assessment Funding Measures Learning Gaps
Gumbs cautioned against interpreting increased examination funding as a direct improvement in literacy, numeracy, attendance or examination results.
The increase supports assessment capacity and absorbs expenses previously funded through World Bank and NRPB support.
In 2027, the Ministry intends to administer assessments for Groups 3, 5 and 7, generating more regular information on literacy and numeracy at different stages of foundation-based education.
That information should help identify learning gaps, track progress and guide interventions.
The distinction matters: testing can reveal where students struggle, but improvement depends on the teaching and support that follow.
Attendance is monitored separately and cannot be attributed directly to the examination allocation.
School Transport Funding Maintains the Existing System
The Cg. 3.9 million school transportation provision covers operating costs for the current system, including payments to operators and technical support for fleet tracking.
The Ministry will monitor routes, schedules, safety, reliability and compliance with service agreements.
Gumbs said the school busing policy is also being updated to strengthen operational requirements, communication, safeguarding and accountability.
Her response did not establish that the allocation would automatically expand routes or accommodate additional demand.
Accountability Must Follow the Allocations
Education funding is distributed under applicable legislation and student numbers, supporting personnel, operations and school-board costs.
Gumbs said the Ministry reviews funding requests, annual budgets and audited financial statements, while the Inspectorate monitors educational quality and compliance.
Those mechanisms provide a framework for oversight. The immediate delivery questions remain concrete: which repairs will be completed, which vacancies will be filled, and how quickly additional student support will become available.
With the maintenance budget unable to clear the backlog, Parliament will need a costed repair program and regular reporting on procurement, recruitment and implementation.
