The Government is investing $302 million to restore and upgrade Petersfield Primary and Infant School in Westmoreland as part of a wider effort to rebuild educational institutions damaged by Hurricane Melissa, ahead of the start of the 2026/2027 academic year. Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon announced the figure during a Back-to-School Readiness Tour of schools across the parish on Tuesday. The extensive project at the school includes major roof replacement, new windows and the construction of an eight-classroom block. Morris Dixon told journalists that the roofing work is expected to be completed by next week and many classrooms made available for the first day of school in September. However, construction of the new classroom block is scheduled to begin within weeks and is expected to be completed in January, once work continues throughout the first term, she said. “We cannot allow the roof to go again if there’s another hurricane, and so we have to build it properly,” Morris Dixon outlined. “So, we are putting $302 million into Petersfield Primary School [and] what you see here is really our commitment to doing things better. It means it’s more expensive but it’s the right thing to do,” she added. Although the school will continue to rely on temporary measures, including tents, during the first term, Morris Dixon said she is confident that administrators will successfully accommodate students while the work continues. She encouraged parents to remain confident in the school, assuring them that the temporary inconvenience will result in a much-improved learning environment. The minister also used the tour to highlight major investments at other schools across Westmoreland, particularly Unity Primary School, where close to $1 billion is being spent on reconstruction and expansion. Morris Dixon indicated that the work is expected to transform the institution into “basically a brand-new school”. She noted that many schools in Westmoreland suffered severe damage during Hurricane Melissa, with priority being given to those that sustained the greatest damage, while repairs at other affected schools will continue.