In 1994, when real estate developer Reynold Scott erected a building to be used as an independent school in the heart of one of Kingston’s toughest neighbourhoods, those close to him may have thought he was a little crazy.

After all, teachers and parents knew it would take substantial fees to operate a preparatory school, so to depend on parents of little means did not appear practical.

But against the odds, Mel Nathan Prep has not only survived for the last 13 years, but is placing students in nearly all traditional high schools in the Corporate Area, and even has a few of its graduates studying at the island’s universities.

It’s no mean achievement for an institution located on the grounds of the St John’s United Church in Hannah Town, West Kingston.

“The experiment is working,” says veteran educator Sarah Palmer who has served as principal since its inception. “The school has been doing very well for the students, the teachers and the community.”

Mel Nathan Prep now enjoys full acceptance of the community, as indicated by its population of 205 students occupying its modest premises. The comparison is obvious with Chetola Park Primary located on the opposite side of the road, which is one of the few public schools that is underpopulated.

The early days at Mel Nathan Prep were eventful, Palmer recalls with a smile. “Everyone in the community came out to see what a prep school was like. It took a while for them to realise that a prep school was like any other school.”

The difference was that Palmer, the only teacher at the time, insisted on high standards for the school. For example, visiting parents were expected to dress modestly and speak without using expletives, simple things which were not the norm in Hannah Town at the time.

Today, the school has an active parent teacher association (PTA) through which residents commit their time – they have little by way of financial resources-to assist the school’s breakfast and lunch programmes.

“When we started, the community was hot with violence. It was a time when children would duck under the desks because of the sound of gunshots,” Palmer recalled. That situation ended in 1998, although they are occasional flare-ups of violence, she said.

“But we have never had to close school for one day because of violence where parents had to take their children out of school because of fear,” Palmer stated.

The principal is no stranger to teaching in inner-city areas as she was principal at Maxfield Park Primary in St Andrew before coming to Mel Nathan Prep. There was, of course, some concern about the possibility of violence, but the school has been able to win the support of parents and staff.

Growth has been steady over the years for the school which started with 25 kindergarten students and one boy in grade three. As these numbers grew, the school added one grade and one teacher each year until the initial kinder group reached grade six. In the meantime the first grade three boy, Paul Coleman, sat the now defunct Common Entrance Examination and passed for Wolmer’s Boys. He is now in his final year at the University of the West Indies. There are also two past students at the University of Technology and several at teachers’ colleges.

“The children have been achieving. They are attending all the traditional high schools, with the exception of Campion,” Palmer beamed.

The achievements in co-curricula activities have also been impressive, with multiple medals and trophies won in the Festival competitions annually.

The school and its results are a testimony to the commitment of the outreach programme of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

“Our fees are currently at $4,000 per term, but half of our parents do not pay anything. They are not working and have nothing to offer,” Palmer lamented. The fees by themselves were a drop in the bucket compared to the school’s needs.

So how does the school survive?

The answer lies largely with the school’s parent body, the Mel Nathan Institute which manages the school. The Institute, chaired by the Rev Dr Maitland Evans, is a project of the United Church, and manages all the educational institutions of the United Church, including the relatively new International University of the Caribbean.

The school is also assisted financially by Reynold Scott through his Scott Foundation, other local and overseas donors, and three other schools affiliated to the United Church – Mona Prep, St Andrew Prep and Meadowbrook Prep.

Despite its progress, Mel Nathan Prep is not resting on its laurels but wants to expand especially in areas such as sports and music.

“We need a good music department, we want to expand our activities in sports and we want to teach another language besides English,” said Palmer, admitting that funding was needed to achieve these goals.

But until then, Mel Nathan Prep continues in its unique role – proving that children of poor circumstances can excel through quality education provided at modest cost, with the help of dedicated teachers and parents.