Ocean Academy, Caye Caulker’s only high school, remains displaced from its campus following severe flood damage and has been operating out of temporary and borrowed spaces since November 2025. The school has been conducting sessions in locations such as boat rooms, community centres, and spaces above restaurants after health inspectors deemed the campus uninhabitable due to extensive flooding, mould growth, and mosquito infestations.
The inspections, conducted in November, led to the immediate suspension of in-person classes just three weeks into the academic term. Since then, Ocean Academy has relied on a hybrid system combining online instruction with rotating in-person sessions for more than 50 students. Principal Noemi Zaiden said access to suitable facilities remains limited, noting that community centres are often unavailable due to prior bookings.
Despite fundraising efforts that have generated nearly $90,000 toward repairs and the installation of prefabricated classroom structures, construction has stalled. According to school officials, the delays are linked to the need for government approval, as the campus is located on Ministry of Education land. The prolonged hybrid learning model has proven especially challenging for hands-on subjects and has placed strain on both teachers and students.
“It’s been over three weeks now that we’ve not been on our campus, and it is starting to wear on the resilience of the teachers and the students,” Zaiden said.
The current crisis has renewed attention on long-standing plans for a new Ocean Academy campus. In 2015, the Caribbean Development Bank announced a loan to support the construction of a new school, with a groundbreaking ceremony held in 2019. However, no physical progress has materialized as of 2026, largely due to changes in government administrations. Parents and the Caye Caulker Village Council have expressed frustration over the prolonged delays, with former Minister of Education Patrick Faber previously describing the situation as a “travesty.”
Ocean Academy, a grant-aided private institution, resumed classes after the Christmas break using multiple scattered venues across the island. Minister of Education Francis Fonseca acknowledged ongoing discussions regarding temporary structures on Ministry land but clarified the government’s position. “Ocean Academy is a private school, and the government has no obligation,” he said, while noting that talks are ongoing.
Area Representative for Belize Rural South, Andre Perez, said in early January that he had not been formally approached for assistance. “No one has approached me to see what they can do,” Perez said. “Sometimes social media flares up with talk of donations, but no one has approached me directly. If there is a group willing to do some work right now or anyone who wants to donate, I am willing to work along with them. There has been no pushback from our side at all.”
Perez added that discussions are continuing for short-term land access and a larger, multi-million-dollar primary and high school project for Caye Caulker. He stated that plans are in place for a “real” and “authentic” groundbreaking later this year, with construction expected to begin no later than May.
While Ocean Academy’s displacement has reduced daily student interaction and added logistical challenges, community support has allowed classes to continue. School officials maintain that a full return to a permanent campus remains critical to ensuring stable and uninterrupted education for Caye Caulker’s youth.
