LONG ROAD, St Mary — Tucked in the hills of rural St Mary, Long Road Primary School is more than just a place for learning; it is a lifeline, an official hurricane shelter for families in the hilly community after which it is named.

As the new school year approaches, Principal Andreth Gardner is asking a hard question, “How long can a small school keep carrying such a big burden with so little support?”

There are 44 students, five teachers, a cook and a janitor and the school is badly in need of repair. The memory is still fresh of recent rainfall that turned the access road into a river of mud and loose rocks, marooning students, teachers and the principal at the school for hours.