Raises health concerns

The students of Holy Cross Anglican School, located in San Mateo Area are facing some serious problems when accessing the school compound, especially in the early morning, as the entrance to the school is completely flooded. For the past few days there has been no rain, yet the entrance of the school campus has been constantly flooded. The cause of the sudden flooding has been attributed to the low terrain of the school and the increase in tidal activity. Despite initial assistance from the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC), more help is needed to alleviate the situation of the school that hosts over 400 hundred students, many from low-income families.

According to reports from the school’s principal Rodney Griffith, students and teachers are faced with quite a challenge accessing the school grounds as a huge pond of stagnant water covers the entrance to the school. “The students have had to literally walk through the water that covers all the area in front of the school entrance, or climb a fence and walk along it. There are some students that just go through it, and it’s a big Monday morning and students coming with their neat uniforms having to walk through water to get to school, is not something pleasant,” said Griffith. He mentioned that the reason for the flooding, according to what he has been hearing, is due to the high tides at this time, which seem to be higher than usual. One of the suggested ways to address the situation is by filling the area around the school and its entrance. “We are grateful for the six loads of sand that was given to us by the SPTC that filled the entrance of the school compound; however more is needed, especially in front of the school and the students’ playground area which is inundated.”The tidal phenomenon is a constant natural occurrence in this area of the island, but in the past months it has gotten worse, especially compared to past years.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the San Pedro Sun

Yeah, well, ...first things first.

(Didn’t these kids ever hear of 4x4’s that can take them to school??? They’re cheap,.....well, sort of)

We DEFINATELY need more access to the North ....as well as an unnecessary airport.

(Progress, I tell you, .... PROGRESS...!!!!)

Robert, They knew they were building the school in a mangrove lagoon and every year they cry, 'Oh help us we're in a mangrove lagoon'. My sympathy isn't there. Tax dollars don't get spent on private schools like The Holy Cross Anglican School and I doubt if they pay taxes since they are a religious organization, so how tax dollars are spent wouldn't be relative. The SPTC is being charitable with a little help but has no responsibility for the plight of these folks that think building your school in the swamp is a good idea.

I'm sure the 12 year old student who has to trudge through that water had a big say in where the school was built. That's stone cold Elbert, even for you, the guy that pisses and moans whenever you have to ride your little moped though a puddle.

im sorry but Elbert is correct, if a school is built in a swamp, who's fault is that, Yes, it is unfortunate that the problem does exist, but it is private. To ask the government to intercede then opens the flood gate to how it is run. They are not required to attend that school, that is parental.

Who's fault is it?

Part of the blame goes to the Planning board, Health Department & the previous Town Council that approved it. All government entities.

The new road that now dams up the water. The flooding in that area is twice as bad since the road went in.

It's not the children's fault, and they are the ones that are suffering.

The majority of the kids that go there are from impoverished families who just want a decent education for their children.

What would it cost to drop a few loads harvested from the big multi-million dollar road project pit up north?
Trucks are running back empty every day of the week.

I would hardly call that government intervention. As a community, it's just the decent thing to do.

We are talking about underprivileged school kids here, not the Island Academy which is built on prime beachfront land who's parents can afford it.

They need help. Just fix it, and enough with the "let them eat cake" mentality.

I'm getting the sense that there is more behind this than what is on the surface.

This is an old discussion but here we go again.
The school was built in a swamp against the recommendation of many residents. It was initially built as part of a trade off in a plan that allowed extensive development in the immediate area. It was also to have included a hurricane shelter. When the development plan fell through and the people left for a better life in Panama, the school was left to fend for itself, trying to serve its population.
When the town should have been building a decent school to serve this group, it decided that this private Anglican institution would pick up the slack so town did not live up to its obligation to develop primary education.
There are many ways to lay blame..... But not on the truth.
I vote to pressure the town to build a decent primary school that does not sit on sewage . I still remember the little girl who died within 24 hours of falling into the water surrounding the school. Yes, people have tried to clean up but the basic flood plain issue clearly exist.
All of this does not put down the fine staff of the school who work really hard with a difficult population. I put down all of us who allowed this to happen.

The school needs to be razed as soon as an alternative is built. It not only sits in a sewage infested swamp, but the landfill it is on is mostly decaying garbage.

The kids and fine staff deserve way better.

An election is on the Horizon. Time to ask questions and get answers, then vote wisely.

Naked Truth is right....
Where was the oversight and regulation about how and where a school is to be built?
Good luck with an election.