SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Manning’s School is almost fully recovered from structural damage done by Hurricane Beryl with Principal Steve Gordon describing the job as 99 per cent complete.

The school is also being bolstered by the Past Students’ Association’s ongoing drive to have additional classrooms constructed on the compound of Jamaica’s second-oldest high school.

“There are still some repairs left to be done. [A] couple of the cappings need to be replaced and there are some areas here and there that they [the contractor] need to come back and get done,” stated Gordon.

The school was one of several that received attention under the Government’s emergency procurement process after being seriously damaged when the hurricane dealt the country a glancing blow on July 3.

“We are hoping that what is left can be done on a weekend…They promised that they would get done within that time. It is nothing to disturb the day-to-day operations [of the school], but we are hoping that we can get these things out of the way so that we can sign off to say that it is 100 per cent complete,” Gordon said.

“We are hoping that [it will be] as soon as possible. That is all I can say,” he added.

Gordon was speaking with the Jamaica Observer following the presentation of two cheques during a ceremony held at the institution on Wednesday.

One of the donations was from Samuels’ Hardware in the parish, which will be providing $1 million worth of supplies towards the Class of 84 Alumni Block. The class of 83 provided a check of $1 million towards the school auditorium’s audio-visual equipment.

“Certainly, we are in need of such a contribution because the one that we would have had in the auditorium in the past is in a state of disrepair and so we would have been using a mobile one that is not convenient in the auditorium because it comes with one speaker,” stated Gordon.

He said Samuels’ Hardware’s contribution will go towards the Class of 84’s existing project that was started a few months ago.

“They are doing an additional two classrooms to support our existing classroom space that we have there,” stated the headmaster, who said the hardware owner expressed an interest in contributing after the hurricane.

The Ministry of Education was also pleased with the support being provided by alumni.

“On behalf of the minister and the Ministry of Education and Youth, let me begin by extending our heartfelt gratitude to the Class of 1983 and Samuels’ Hardware in Little London, for their generous donation of a total of $2 million towards the construction of four new classrooms on this campus. This gift, which represents not only financial support but also a deep-rooted commitment to the development of future generations, underscores the importance of partnership and its transformative power within the education sector,” said Region Four Education Officer Dr Shamara Brissett.

She said the additional classrooms will not only alleviate overcrowding but will also offer a more conducive setting for meaningful learning and personal growth.

President (Western Chapter) of Manning’s Past Students Association Roger Walcott, who spoke on behalf of the association’s three other chapters, said the contribution of $2 million is a modest start.

“We are happy to have received the contributions today. This is one small drop in the ocean. There are a lot more donations which are forthcoming and some have come already. So, we are waiting to see who else will contribute,” stated Walcott, who is from the class of 73.

He said other classes are now providing help to the institution.

“This is one year group, one exercise. This is their contribution to Manning’s as they see it now. The one [class] that I am from, we did a reunion last year and we walked the property where we realised that the school’s canteen was in need of some serious funding. And so, they contributed $1 million to that project. There are other year groups who have been giving the same thing and I know that the class of 2004 have given over $2 million and the class of 76 is making arrangements to come and hand over another sum. I won’t say what that figure is but it is a lovely figure,” stated Walcott.

“This is having a ripple effect. People are seeing what we are doing. People are finding out that Manning’s have need. It has wants. It has been neglected for way too long and we need to stop thinking about getting another person to do it for us. We have to start thinking about doing things for ourselves,” he urged even as he thanked the education ministry for its support.

During the event, Member of Parliament (MP) for Westmoreland Central George Wright made a $100,000 pledge to the class of 83’s project.

Wright, who is not a past student of Manning’s, said his pledge is aimed at encouraging others to give towards continued development of the school.

The institution currently has a student population of 1,807 and an academic staff of 96.