ASPS to break ground soon

This year will see the long-delayed groundbreaking for the new Althea Scatliffe Primary School along with $4 million in infrastructure works on existing schools across the Virgin Islands, officials said Monday during a press conference launching Education Month.

The ASPS project, which is being partially funded by the Sir Richard Branson-backed Unite BVI Foundation, has faced delays since the school was closed and condemned in 2022.

On Monday, Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sharie de Castro acknowledged that the “design phase took a lot longer than we would have wanted,” but she said ground will be broken in the first half of this year.

The minister did not provide further updates on the construction timeline but promised a more detailed announcement soon.

“I will be making a more holistic announcement aligned with Unite BVI in the coming weeks so that the public can be fully aware of what the structure will look like, when it will officially break ground, and also when we expect it to be completed by,” she said.

2022 closure

Following months of issues including a collapsed ceiling in 2021, ASPS — which was the territory’s largest primary school — closed suddenly in June 2022 because a structural analysis had raised concerns about its integrity.

As a result, nearly 400 students were displaced to other schools. They included about 375 ASPS students and 40 staff members, as well as 15 students with special needs enrolled with the Eslyn Henley Richez Learning Centre and six additional staff members for that facility, officials said at the time.

In April 2023, the structure was demolished.

The school’s rebuild was among the education projects that were previously set to begin in 2024 under a five-year memorandum of understanding government signed with Unite BVI in January of that year.

Delays followed, however, and in February 2025, Ms. de Castro gave an update on Unite BVI’s work to finalise costings and secure approvals from stakeholders.

“In the pre-design phase of the [ASPS] rebuild, consultations were conducted with stakeholders including immediate past principals, teachers and staff,” Ms. de Castro told the House of Assembly at the time. “These sessions were instrumental in shaping the design brief, ensuring that the new facility aligns with the school’s aspirations and educational needs.”

Other work

On Monday morning, Ms. de Castro also touted the $4 million included in this year’s budget for infrastructure upgrades for existing schools across the territory.

This annual allocation, she said, has nearly quadrupled since 2024.

“In 2024, we delivered just over $1 million in infrastructure repairs and upgrades across our public schools,” she said. “But we also recognise that in order to accelerate progress we had to change our approach. We undertook structural assessments across our school system to understand the true condition of our facilities, to identify long-standing post-hurricane damage, and to determine the level of investment required to properly rehabilitate our schools. Because this was not about patching problems: This was about rebuilding strategically. And that strategy was reflected in our investment.”

Infrastructure work

During the question-and-answer segment of the press conference, Ms. de Castro listed some of the schools set to get improvements.

“What you would have heard me characterise in my statement would have been specific to schools like the Alexandrina Maduro Primary School, the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School, the Willard Wheatley Primary School, the Joyce Samuel Primary School — which last year would have received the most upgrades,” she said. “So what we’re doing is continuing those upgrades.”

She added that the upgrades would be made mostly during the summer months when students are on break.

Variety of work

She emphasised that the planned works are not “cosmetic” but rather “foundational” and “transformational.”

According to the minister, the rehabilitation programme includes a wide range of works: “roof repairs; replacement of damaged windows and doors; installation and replacement of air-conditioning systems; upgrades to electrical infrastructure; rehabilitation of sewage and drainage systems; installation of backup water systems; installation of backup generator systems and solar infrastructure; construction and rehabilitation of playgrounds and basketball courts; installation of perimeter fencing and campus safety improvements; construction of vending kiosks; and general classroom and campus rehabilitation.”