Ocean Academy Rejects Call to Surrender Licence as Government Plans Rival School

Ocean Academy says it will remain an independent high school on Caye Caulker despite a request from the government to voluntarily revoke its licence as plans move ahead for a new government-run secondary school on the island.

School officials told News 5 that representatives from the Ministry of Education informed them the proposed government high school would have no ties to Ocean Academy.

That request was rejected following consultations with parents, alumni, and other stakeholders.

“So we just have too many years of alumni who care about their diploma and that Ocean Academy seal on their diploma and parents who are enthusiastic about our experiential learning and the programmes and the curriculum that we have that we just listened to them and said, ‘Okay, we will go ahead and maintain our path, as we’re a non-profit organisation’,” founder Heidi Curry told News 5.

The development comes as Ocean Academy continues to recover from months of disruption caused by flooding and mold issues at its campus. School administrators say most students returned to the main campus in April after extensive repairs and modifications were carried out on the upper floors of the building. To make that possible, one upstairs classroom was converted into office space and restrooms, while the ground floor was entirely abandoned. That has left the school short of two classrooms, with one group of students still being taught off-site as the rainy season approaches.

To address the problem, Ocean Academy is planning to construct two “movable classrooms” on nearby property while it pursues a permanent campus on a larger parcel of land.

“We were able to secure the permission for using that property and speak with an architect who is designing those buildings so they can be movable because we want to make sure that everything we invest is going to be used by our students for the long run,” Curry said.

The school has now started a fundraising campaign to help finance these projects. Administrators say donors have already expressed interest in supporting the effort, including a pledge of US$25,000 toward a future down payment on property.

Curry said the site under consideration could include a basketball court, volleyball court, and running track, none of which the school currently has.

The school has set up a website, “Ocean Academy 2.0″, to post updates on fundraising needs for the movable classrooms and, once finalised, the terms of a potential land purchase for a permanent campus.