Lights out at Jessie Ripoll Primary
CLASSES at the Jessie Ripoll Primary in Kingston suffered a minor setback yesterday when the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) disconnected the school’s electricity supply for non-payment of bills.
Vice-principal Marcia Detry Fogah told the Observer that the action was taken because the school had fallen into arrears.
“We are paying, but whatever money we have to pay is usually not enough to pay the bills that come in,” Detry Fogah said.
The vice-principal was unable to say how much money the school owed JPS.
She noted, however, that the schools’ inability to stay current with its utility bill could be attributed to the fact that the sum allotted by the Education Ministry was not enough.
“Jessie Ripoll is more technologically driven than maybe other schools, so I think it’s something the ministry, the JPS and the school authorities will work on and see how best they can resolve the matter,” Detry Fogah told the Observer yesterday.
In the meantime, she said classes continued yesterday until dismissal at 2:00 pm.
“We were in school for the entire day. We are flexible. we make do,” She said.
Up to press time yesterday discussions were still ongoing between representatives from the school, the ministry and the light and power company.
But said Detry Fogah: “tomorrow morning we have our early bird breakfast beginning at 6:30 and we have our Jamaica Day, and I think it’s only an act of God that will change that”.