KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education is warning that some schools damaged by Hurricane Melissa may not be ready for face-to-face classes when the new academic year begins on September 7.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Senator Marlon Morgan, made the disclosure following a two-day tour of several schools across St Elizabeth that were severely affected by the hurricane.

“As the ministry fine-tunes preparations ahead of the start of the 2026 to 2027 school year, the political executive in the ministry has embarked on a series of visits to schools that were considerably impacted by the passage of hurricane Melissa. Primarily, schools that have been deemed priority one schools based on the severity of damage to school infrastructure consequent on the passage of hurricane Melissa,” he said.