MONTEGO BAY, St James — Faced with the reality that there is no way they will be able to repair all the Hurricane-Melissa-damaged schools in time for the new school year, the education ministry’s Region Four has put contingencies in place to minimise disruptions.

As a result, when classes get under way in September a combination of shift systems, staggered face-to-face classes, and the use of makeshift wooden structures will be used by some schools in St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland. These were among the parishes hardest hit by the Category 5 storm last October.

“There may be some schools that, they’ll definitely open, but we might have to open again with rotation and we have arranged for some temporary classrooms to be available,” the Ministry of Education’s regional director for Region Four Dr Michelle Pinnock said on Monday.