KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Government will be spending $1.7 billion to construct additional classrooms, install security fences and upgrade electrical systems at several primary and secondary schools during the upcoming fiscal year.

Among the projects listed in the 2025/26 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives, are the commencement of construction activities at 10 high schools to attain various completion rates.

The schools are Port Antonio, 85 per cent; Aberdeen and Stony Hill, 15 per cent; Denham Town, 30 per cent; Nain and Newell, 60 per cent; New Forest 50 per cent; Westwood, 90 per cent; Albert Town, 100 per cent; and Papine, 40 per cent.

Electrical upgrading works are expected to commence and conclude at seven schools, namely McGrath, Holmwood, Guys Hill, Spanish Town, Jonathan Grant, Glengoffe, Seaforth, and Edwin Allen High Schools.

Meanwhile, the Government is aiming to complete the construction of security fencing at Naggo Head and Bridgeport Primary Schools in St Catherine.

The construction of security fencing is scheduled to begin at Galina, Parry Town, Retirement, Windsor Forrest, McAuley and Brixton Hill Primary schools, as well as Kingston High School, with a completion date of March 2026.

Up to December 2024, electrical upgrade works were completed at 12 schools – Priory Primary and Infant, Little London and Savanna-la-Mar Primary School, Kemps Hill, Tarrant, Charlie Smith, Denbigh, Waterford, Greater Portmore, Alston, Garvey Maceo High Schools and St Mary Technical.

Wastewater systems were also commissioned at Black River and Papine High schools last year.

The Government also completed expansion and renovation works at Exchange All-Age, Norman Manley High Phase II, Papine High Phase I, Kingston College, Black River Phase I and II, and Edwin Allen High in 2024.

Progress of construction activities are as follows: Jonathan Grant, 87 per cent; Bridgeport High, 75 per cent; Holmwood High, 85 per cent; a chair lift at Sydney Pagon, 25 per cent; and Cedric Titus, 56 per cent.

At the end of 2024, security fencing works at Golden Spring Primary, Papine and Cedric Titus High Schools were completed, while progress of fencing works at Eccleston Primary and Bridgeport High were reported to be 90 and 12 per cent, respectively.

The project, which initially ran from April 2020 to March 2023, has been extended to March 2025 and further to March 2028.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Fayval Williams, tabled the 2025/26 Estimates of Expenditure in the House of Representatives on February 13.

– JIS