The new Old Fort School will create around 30 job opportunities when its first phase opens in September next year and 70 more by 2017, according to its director. Lisa Sawyer-McCartney, founder of the Meridian School, said it's no secret that there's a shortage of classrooms in western New Providence. The Old Fort School, soon to break ground behind the Solomon's Fresh Market, promises to also serve as a considerable driver of economic growth for one of the fastest growing areas in the country. "I do think this area is developing at light speed. It's timely and there ought to be another school," Sawyer-McCartney told Guardian Business.
The school has purchased land from New Providence Development Company (NPDC) and achieved "wonderful financing", she noted. Meanwhile, various members of the community are contributing resources, time and money to help bring the institution to fruition. Old Fort School will offer pre-Kindergarten through grade 9 when it opens in September 2014. After that, the school will tack on an additional grade each year. The first grade 12 graduating class, she explained, will be in 2018. "At opening we're looking at 11 teachers, depending on class sizes, and possibility 11 teaching assistants," Sawyer-McCartney said.
"Then we'll have specialist teachers, administrative staff, a school nurse, and positions like that. Once we are up to full speed, we are talking a much larger support staff." While current and prospective residents in the area might be looking forward to more educational options, the business community is also pleased. Gavin Watchorn, the CEO of AML Foods, said that the Old Fort School ultimately means hundreds of new people driving past Solomon's Fresh Market every single day. Solomon's Fresh Market was the first business at Old Fort Bay Town Centre and serves as very much the anchor of the development.
Since its opening in November 2011, well over a dozen businesses have opened their doors, making the plaza the commercial hub for western New Providence. "It is the start of further development out there," Watchorn told Guardian Business. "They have been talking further development and another sale is hanging in the balance, from what I understand, for another Charlottesville or Old Fort Bay community." Further residential growth would only fuel the new school's growth, although judging by the demand, Sawyer-McCartney believes it will have no trouble filling the classrooms.
Western New Providence is already home to a number of high-end communities such as Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay and Albany. However, several middle-income communities have also sprouted up in recent years. Word of mouth has spread quickly, she said, and Meridian has established a reputable, professional yet comforting educational brand. "I think what has made us successful is a combination of things.
The idea of community and accountability is huge," she told Guardian Business. "My staff, the teachers, are like parents with children. So what we do is perhaps different than anywhere else on the island." The Old Fort School will start out on five acres and hopes to grow onto an additional 4.5 acres over the coming years. A large green space, a welcome center for parents, a 25-meter pool, a soccer field, tennis and basketball courts and a 400-meter race track are all planned for the school.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
