Board member Irving Brown (second left) and Governor de Graaff School Principal Jolly van Beelen-Ferwerda (second right) taking part in the first ceremonial shovelling for the project, as a representative from K.J. Construction, along with Commissioners Reuben Merkman and Rechelline Leerdam, and others look on.
ST. EUSTATIUS--Following the growth of recent years and the need to address a number of defects, the school building will be renovated and extended. The work on the school is being carried out on behalf of the Public Entity St. Eustatius (OLE) and is co-financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).
The extension will include a multifunctional space that can be used as an office, classroom, or meeting room. A remedial teaching room will also be added, and the storage space will be enlarged. In addition, extra toilets will be provided, including an accessible toilet.
To stimulate the local economy, only local contractors were approached as part of the tender process for this project. The work on the school will be carried out by K.J. Construction and the construction is expected to take seven to eight months. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the planning process took longer than anticipated, but the project represents an important step towards improving education facilities on Statia.
