Artist impression of the new Sr. Marie Laurence School (Photo courtesy www.lyongo.com).
~Trini contractor only bid submitted~
MIDDLE REGION--The reconstruction of the Sr. Marie Laurence School in Middle Region is set to begin in the first week of March 2026, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs said during her MECYS livestream on Tuesday.
The contract for the project was signed on January 19, 2026, and mobilisation efforts have already commenced. The contractor has until the end of March 2027 to complete construction, with a formal handover expected one month after all final drawings are approved.
The project team will coordinate with the Foundation Catholic Education St. Maarten (SKOS) to ensure the new school is fully furnished and operational in time for the academic year.
During her livestream, Minister Gumbs shared answers she provided to National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament ( MP) Egbert Doran on the matter. She said all preparatory activities since the demolition have been completed. “The contractor has submitted all required insurances, performance security, work programmes, and environmental and social risk management tools,” she said. Necessary permits have been applied for, allowing key personnel to mobilise to St. Maarten. These pre-construction requirements are standard and do not delay the project.
Regarding regulatory or technical obstacles, Minister Gumbs said neither ECYS nor NRPB has been informed of any issues that would prevent construction. The contractor’s environmental and social risk management plan (CESMP) is currently under review by NRPB and the supervising consultant.
The reconstruction project has gone through multiple procurement rounds. Initially, a foreign contractor was awarded a package including demolition and reconstruction, but was cancelled in March 2025 for failing to meet contractual prerequisites. Subsequently, demolition work was tendered separately and completed by a St. Maarten-based contractor. The reconstruction tender for Sr. Marie Laurence School was issued in June 2025 and awarded to a Trinidadian contractor in November 2025. The contract was finalized in January 2026.
Minister Gumbs emphasised that local contractors were given a fair opportunity to participate. The tender was advertised in local media and on the government website, with pre-bid meetings held for local contractors. Despite extending the submission deadline by two weeks, only one bid was received from a regional contractor. The evaluation criteria included points for the use of local labour and subcontractors, aligning with World Bank local labour policies requiring at least 30% of labor value to be allocated locally. Local participation will continue to be a formal component of procurement.
In response to concerns about advance payments, Minister Gumbs clarified that the previous foreign contractor was cancelled before signing a contract. No down payment was made, and the project’s allocated budget remains intact with no impact on current planning or financing.
Construction of Sr. Marie Laurence School is now on track, with works expected to progress smoothly under close project management oversight.
