$3.6M Project to Upgrade Three Schools in Corozal, San Antonio, Belmopan
Three schools in Corozal Townl, San Antonio Village and Belmopan will benefit from more than US$3.6 million in education infrastructure investments under the third cycle of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), following the launch of the School Infrastructure Development project.
The project will fund new classrooms, sanitation, administrative spaces and other improvements aimed at providing safer, more accessible and climate-resilient learning environments for students and teachers.
“The CDF’s total contribution to the Government of Belize and our current funding cycle will stand at just over $5 million,” said Rodinald Soomer, Chief Executive Officer of the CDF.
He said the education project is being supported through a US3.45millionfinancingpackage,comprisingaUS3 million concessionary loan and a US$450,000 grant.
The beneficiary schools are St Francis Xavier R.C. Primary and Pre-Primary School in Corozal Town, San Antonio Government Primary and Pre-Primary Schools, and Our Lady of Guadalupe R.C. Primary School in Belmopan.
St. Francis Xavier will receive new classrooms, accessible bathroom facilities and administrative space to address overcrowding and inadequate learning conditions.
San Antonio Government Schools will benefit from new primary classrooms, an open-concept pre-primary classroom, accessible sanitation, an administrative office and a kitchenette to support the school feeding programme.
At Our Lady of Guadalupe, the project will provide a new eight-classroom building with bathroom facilities and administrative offices to accommodate its growing student population.
Prime Minister John Briceño said the project would help provide better learning conditions for students, aligning with the government’s Education Sector Plan 2026-2030.
“This is not just about constructing classrooms. It’s about giving children the space to learn, teachers the environment to teach, and the families the confidence that their children have a fair opportunity to succeed,” he said.
The project will also incorporate modern furniture, learning materials, information and communications technology where possible, teacher and staff development, and community engagement to support the long-term maintenance of the facilities.
Narda Garcia, Chief Executive Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister, said the fund’s board recognised the opportunity to address urgent infrastructure needs at the three schools when the proposed projects were presented in 2025.
“Ultimately, our goal is clear, to provide children with safe, comfortable, and accessible environments that nurture their development while also strengthening schools’ capacity to serve as community anchors during emergencies,” she said.