Sixty-three of the Jamaican schools worst hit by Hurricane Melissa have been fully rebuilt, with 81 more between 95% and 99% complete, The Rio Times reports, citing figures given to an oversight committee days before the storm's first anniversary.
Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane on 28 October 2025 and affected 682 schools. Junior Education Minister Rhoda Moy Crawford said repairs had also been finished at seven schools with less serious damage. The committee's chairman, Dr Adrian Stokes, said J$9.2 billion, about US$58 million, had been spent so far.
Officials say the schools are being rebuilt to a higher standard under the national building code, with attention to ceiling heights, windows, natural light and ventilation. The Sandals Foundation, the resort group's charity, has paid for the restoration of seven schools.
Source: The Rio Times
