Hopewell High, HMC in uneasy stand-off

WESTERN BUREAU:

Byron Grant, principal of Hopewell High School, Hanover, says a stop order placed on the construction of an isolation area at the school will not stop the institution from carrying on the face-to-face classes that are currently being done for grades 11, 12 and 13.

The stop order was invoked after officers from the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) were blocked from entering the school’s compound to conduct an inspection of the work being done on the isolation area.

“I have alternative measures in place already. We have improvised, so we have an isolation area. But for the long term and to make it more standardised, we were doing the construction of an isolation area,” said Grant. “They (HMC officers) came by yesterday (Tuesday) and served a stop order on it, but that won’t stop the face-to-face classes.”

The Gleaner was informed that when personnel from the Hanover Municipal Corporation’s compliance department went to the school on Tuesday to conduct a routine inspection of the building under construction, they were blocked by the security personnel at the gate. In fact, while they were there, no one was allowed to enter or exit the compound.

Police called

With HMC insisting that they must be given access and the gate security personnel standing resolute that they will not be granted access, the stand-off got tense and personnel from the Jamaica Fire Brigade Hanover Division, who were already on the compound doing an inspection, found themselves trapped inside when they were ready to leave.

Eventually, the Sandy Bay police had to be called in to defuse the situation. A truce was brokered, with the police agreeing to accompany the HMC personnel to wherever they wished to go on the school compound.

Once on the inside, the HMC officers issued an immediate stop order on the construction of the isolation room and two additional classrooms that were under construction. The HMC compliance officer issued a 28-day ultimatum to have the construction of the isolation room and classrooms regularised.

“We will be submitting the required thing (documents) within the time frame that is requested by them, which is within 28 days,” Grant told The Gleaner, without explaining why the school had sought to block the HMC officers.

The Gleaner subsequently learned that no architectural drawings were available for the construction taking place on the school compound when the HMC personnel requested to see that document.