Earl causes minor damage

PHILIPSBURG--Schools will reopen their doors to students on Thursday after being closed for three days due to the passing of Hurricane Earl on Monday.

However, teachers are asked to report to school today, Wednesday. An assessment was carried out at schools on Tuesday, Government Information Services (GIS) said in a press release last night.

Teachers are asked to report to schools to prepare their classrooms for tomorrow's reopening.

In the meantime, several schools reported minimal damage as a result of the passing of Earl, which battered St. Maarten with heavy wind and rain.

Principal of Sundial School Mireille Regales said the main gate at the school's entrance was blown down, as well as the aluminium side panel. There were water leaks in several classrooms, as well as water damage in the main office for the first time. No documents were damaged, as these had been secured before the passing of the storm.

There was also tree damage. A team of about ten persons, including National Alliance (NA) candidate Terry Peterson turned out to help clean the school.

General Director of Milton Peters College (MPC) and Sundial School John Wolff said there was a lot of tree damage and minor leaks in MPC's computer room. "It was not so bad," Wolff said when contacted on Tuesday. At the time that he was contacted he said there was no water and electricity and it was difficult to assess whether damage had also occurred to electrical fittings.

Damage at St. Dominic High was also minimal. Principal Jose Sommers said apart from a "little" water that got into some classrooms and some tree branches that fell, the school was unscathed.

The situation was similar at the academic section of St. Maarten Academy. Principal Shareed Hussain said there was a lot of debris from fallen tree branches, but the school's structure was in tact.