🏫 Ministry denies access to business case for new Cayman Brac school

The Ministry of Education has declined to release the Outline Business Case (OBC) for a new high school on Cayman Brac, estimated to cost around $50 million. Despite tens of millions of dollars being allocated for the project in this year's spending plan, the public has not been given access to the document that justifies the need for the school. The number of primary and secondary students on the Sister Islands, including Cayman Brac, is less than 300. After the project was approved and budgeted for, a freedom of information request for the OBC was denied by the ministry, citing commercial sensitivity and ongoing procurement processes. 🚫

In response to the denial, CNS has requested an internal review and suggested the release of a redacted version of the report to provide some insight into the need for the school and potential alternative, less costly solutions. The existing Layman E. Scott Sr High School, which serves just 155 students aged between 11 and 17, was rated as 'Good' in an October 2023 inspection by the Office of Education Standards. The new project, to be built on a 59-acre plot of crown land on Sunshine Drive on the Bluff, includes a new gymnasium in addition to the high school building. 🏗️