Education Minister asked to consider relocating flood-prone JVD Primary

Second District Representative Melvin Turnbull is challenging Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley to consider relocating Jost Van Dyke Primary School to a location that is not flood-prone.

Turnbull made the call at the handing over ceremony of the territory’s first-ever nanotech and solar-powered library and resource centre at the school on Tuesday.

He said: “While we continue to receive these donations and contributions which we are welcoming, let us consider the location of the school because it’s absolutely important. If anybody is aware of this area, it floods uncontrollably when it rains.”

During his tenure under the last administration as representative for the sister island, Turnbull said an agreement was made to put the new school on the land that was slated for the island’s new community centre.

It is not clear what happened to that agreement.

A tremendous investment

Meanwhile, Turnbull thanked all the parties involved that contributed to the completion of the new library on the island and said he believes it will lift the spirits of the children and raise the standards of future developments to come.

“To see that donors have been willing to contribute and make such a tremendous investment for the students and people of Jost Van Dyke who continue to feel left out and forgotten, it’s just absolutely amazing,” he said.