DESPITE her most gallant efforts to supplement a meagre allocation by the Ministry of Education, principal of the Padmore Primary School Keisha Hayle is in need of help to keep the school gates open.

The school has a population of 83 students, a more than 100 per cent increase in attendance since she took over the reins almost three years ago. The school survived a move by the Ministry of Education to shut it down after Hayle volunteered to attempt to keep it operational, despite several challenges.

There are five classrooms and the institution caters to children from grades four to six. There is a staff complement of five full-time teachers, an assistant teacher and a volunteer.

“The school serves several communities close to Padmore as some students would not be attending the Red Hills school because it costs even more to get there from here. Some persons with the means can send their children to other schools, but other children would not be so lucky,” she said.

A philanthropist at heart, Hayle has used her own funds to purchase a Toyota Hiace bus to transport children from surrounding districts of Sterling Castle to the West Rural St Andrew-based school.

However, the bus is badly in need of repairs and is now languishing in a garage as Hayle cannot find funds to put the 13-year-old vehicle back on the road.

“I bought it for $820,000. That was all my savings. Now it needs to be fixed, but I cannot find the funds to fix it as my money has all but dried up,” Hayle told the Jamaica Observer.

The bus is in need of a gear box, which Hayle said costs between $30,000 and $50,000.

Many of the children who attend Padmore Primary are from the lower social strata and many of their parents/guardians find it hard to pay route taxi fares to transport them to school.

As a result, Hayle has been transporting the majority of children for free, even though the financial burden is heavy.

“Most of the students come from poor backgrounds and many times they can’t find the fare to get to school. Even though it is hard at times, I go to the Sterling Castle square and wait for them because their education is important. I do it with love and not necessarily for any financial reward,” she said.

Before taking up the principal’s role at Padmore Primary, Hayle taught at the larger Red Hills All-Age school.

“While teaching at Red Hills, I took in 27 children under my roof. Now I only have one boy whose mother died,” Hayle said.

In addition to purchasing the school bus, Hayle has also embarked on funding a school feeding project, which is funded with her salary.

“I have to pay the cook out of my own funds. Some children come to school without breakfast and can’t buy lunch and we can’t let them go hungry,” she said.

She has also paid for a sign at the entrance of the school, funded the painting of the classroom block, in addition to painting murals with her own hands.

The Padmore Primary is given a grant of $27,000 but, according to Hayle, although she is grateful for the grant, it is barely enough to keep the institution afloat.

“It takes twice that amount to operate the school, the rest is taken from my salary,” the teacher said.

The state of the furniture at Padmore Primary is also cause for concern, as termites are slowly eating away at the wooden desks and chairs.

“The school has been neglected,” Hayle said.

The school has no playfield and the one student who participated in the recently held Primary Schools’ Athletic Championship, trained on a rapidly deteriorating asphalt car park.

According to Hayle, there are plans to build a multipurpose court in a grassy area halfway up the driveway to the school.

But despite the challenges, Hayle is remaining positive and plans to expand the school curriculum to include Spanish, dance and music.

At present, the school also has a green area where ground provisions are sometimes planted to supplement its feeding programme.