BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth —Administrators of Black River Primary School say the full reopening for the new school year is likely to be delayed amid ongoing repair work to accommodate its approximately 800 students.

The 2026-27 school year in Jamaica is set to begin on Monday, September 7, but Black River Primary seems set to reopen fully on September 14 to give work crews time to complete the repairs.

But there is optimism among teachers, students, and parents as the repairs gather pace following the devastation to the school during the passage of Hurricane Melissa last October.

Senior vice-principal at Black River Primary Andrea Coley-Foster told the Jamaica Observer on Monday that the majority of the roofing — which was stripped by the Category 5 storm — has been replaced and the classrooms are now being painted.

A reroofed classroom block at the Black River Primary School in St Elizabeth. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

“We are expecting a turnout of just grade one for next Monday and the infants, because that is when we will be having orientation and the administration of the grade one individual learning profile,” said Coley-Foster.

“Because the place is not totally ready, we had to postpone [the grade one orientation] from today [September 3] to next week, so hopefully by the 14th we will reopen fully and we will have our full capacity, which is approximately 800 students,” added Coley-Foster, who pointed out that the school’s enrolment has declined due to families relocating from the Hurricane Melissa-ravaged coastal town of Black River.

“We had 880 students and a capacity of 1,100. However, because of damages to houses and all of that, some of our children have relocated and, therefore, we are expecting a minimum of 800 students,” said Coley-Foster

She added that the school has 47 academic staff and 13 auxiliary staff.

According to Coley-Foster, “The staff morale is high. Persons were devastated both from a residential standpoint and coming to see our school, our place of work, devastated, it was really depressing, but the spirits are getting higher based on what we are seeing happening now.”

She pointed that some staff members are still struggling to complete repair work on their homes which were damaged by Melissa.

“But most of us, our homes are getting back to where they used to be,” declared Coley-Foster.

In the meantime, fellow Vice-Principal Carolyn Ledgister-Bennett told the Observer that some parents are still in doubt that the school will be ready for the start of the academic year.

“Based on walking around and looking at the compound, some are wondering if it is possible, while others are in high spirits still hoping that we will be up and running,” said Ledgister-Bennett.