City Hall takes care of Excelsior High School
Many of the repeat offenders at the magistrate court lack basic education. That is why it is important for schools to be constantly upgraded and the training of teachers are also paramount. Excelsior High School understands that message as a memorandum of understanding was signed today at the school grounds. The City Council giving back to the community as it is assisting the school with the renovation of its computer lab; donating six of fifteen new computers and the council is also refurbishing a green space and a picnic area, constructing a new basketball court, and an internal walkway amongst other upgrades. The council will even provide a full scholarship to the University of Belize to a most outstanding student. The MOU and related activities are a part of a larger project being coordinated by the Belize City Council, UNICEF and Restore Belize to carry out a series of intervention activities in the Faber’s Road Area of Belize City. Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Belize City Council and Excelsior High School in south side Belize City was a momentous one that will allow for the continued renovation of a computer lab for the school and the creation of walkways within the school compound. It is a project that will essentially give the school a facelift.
Darrell Bradley
Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor
“Today while we will sign the MOU, we will also open the renovated computer lab. And let me just briefly recap some of the works that have been done there. The City Council donated six brand new computers to the computer lab and we are committed to donate fifteen computers by the time the school year opens in August. In addition to the computers, we also donated computer chairs. We totally renovated the room, we re-tiled the room, we painted the room, we put in place posters and things on the wall just to make it a very comfortable space for the young people. We improved the lighting condition which was identified as a problem. Hopefully by the end of this week, we will see renewed sidewalks all around the school compound so that when students walk to the classrooms, they won’t have to walk in water. And all of that work was done with City Council employees in partnership with the contractor who is doing Faber’s Road. The contractor donated the technical labor and the City Council staff donated some of the additional work men.”
It is a historic moment for the institution that has long been the backbone of the south side community whose youths have been affected by many societal ills. The Chairman of the school’s Board of Directors gave a history of the institution’s existence.
Marshall Nunez
Marshall Nunez, Chairman, Board of Director, Excelsior High School
“Excelsior High School started as Curtis High School in 1975 and it evolved into Excelsior High School in 1992 when it came here on Faber’s Road. The main building that you see to my right; your left was only an upstairs building. There was no downstairs, there were no partitions and windows or electrical…it should have been a hurricane shelter. The board and the administration of the school at the time worked hard with the students fundraising to put on the downstairs and we continued to evolve. The school grew in the enrollment and in the 1980s to the 90s for about a period of ten years, excelsior because what was the best athletic school in the country of Belize. Since then, it has fallen in enrollment and several things have change…these buildings that you see around were not here. We evolved into what you see today.”
And the City Council and its mayor took on the task of visiting the school earlier this year and committing to assist the institution with infrastructural development. Mayor Darrell Bradley has also brought in the assistance of RESTORE Belize and UNICEF.
Marshall Nunez
“This partnership with the City of Belize and Excelsior is going to be symbiotic. We have students in the IT and in the Vocational Technical Field that can go back and give service to the Belize City Council. As a matter of fact, even as we speak we know that several graduates of Excelsior High School are working at the City Council. I know we have in the evaluation department, we have in works department we have in IT department and I am sure that there may be other people in other departments.”
Darrell Bradley
“I am pleased to announce that the City Council is creating the Marshall Nunez Scholarship and we will be donating one complete scholarship to the valedictorian of Excelsior High School to attend the University of Belize. We’ve also committed to assisting with sporting activities. One of the things that excelsior was known was in the area of sports and over the summer we will assist with equipment and we will assist with a basketball camp that Mister Nunez is sponsoring right here at excelsior and we are hoping that we can assist with some after school sporting activities.”
Annually, three internships from the technical and business department of the City Council will be given to Excelsior High School for students to work in areas of urban planning. Duane Moody for News Five.
The Mayor intends to replicate this partnership with schools throughout the city if the partnership is successful.
