The special needs school acquired by the government last year remains unnamed but that is expected to change very soon, according to Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald.

The government acquired the former Our Lady’s Catholic School on Deveaux Street and have renovated it to transform it into a school for children with special needs.

“We have some names that have been recommended and those names are going to be before Cabinet,” he told the Bahama Journal recently.

“We have an ongoing renaming of schools for a number of schools but all of those have to be placed before Cabinet probably this week or next week which will include both of the Catholic schools that we have taken charge over as well as a number of schools in New Providence and the Family Islands so next year will be a big year for renaming of schools throughout the country.”

The education minister all explained that the school is 90 per cent complete and will be in order for the new school year.

“The school will be opened in time for September,” Minister Fitzgerald said.

“It’s going through the final touches now. We should start moving in our equipment in there [this] week but there is still some paving and other work to do. We will have the press there just before school starts so you can see what’s happening there and we are very excited about this.”

Minister Fitzgerald also explained that the school’s staff is doing “a lot of preparation work” at another school and so there will be a transition process once the old Our Lady’s School is completely renovated.

“We are very excited about the impact this will have in terms of special needs diagnosis, recognising challenges some children have, training teachers and assisting with research,” he said.

“We have adequate teachers ready so the school will have its full compliment. The teachers are qualified and excited about this new opportunity.”
Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder said early last year that Our Lady’s would close after years of declining student enrollment.

St. Bede’s Catholic School was also closed down last year.

Students and teachers at the two schools were absorbed into the Catholic diocese’s remaining institutions.

The government is expected to spend over $1 million on the renovations.