School Burns

August 2000 Table of Contents

SCHOOL BURNS

For years the Administration Block at Abaco Central High School had electrical problems. For teachers to copy material on the school's photocopier, the principal or senior mistress's air conditioner had to be turned off. While re-building after Hurricane Floyd was under way, another air conditioner was added to the distressed block for the vice principal. With fuses tripping on a regular basis, a fourth air conditioner was put in for the school's secretary.

The Administration Block is set up so that the offices of the Principal, Vice Principal and Senior Mistress are all self-contained with doors to isolate them from the rest of the block. The secretary's air conditioner had the 12,000 BTU duty to cool down the secretary's area then flow down a passage and cool down a staff room ten times bigger than the reception area. On 29th June in the early hours of the morning the day after the latest air conditioner was installed, the reception area burned down. Fire engines from Marsh Harbour and Dundas Town assisted with the blaze.

Little damage was done to the offices but the reception area was completely gutted and the staff room received heavy smoke damage. Further damage was caused by water from the firemen's hoses. CID officers from Nassau confirmed that the fire had an electrical origin.

There was definitely malice involved when another fire occurred at the school. On the morning of 17th July groundsmen arrived to find the staff room ablaze. A fire engine arrived promptly to prevent extensive damage. According to a witness, books and furniture had been piled up and set alight.

The school's travails were not yet over. Next night the school's computer room was broken into and a black substance was smeared over computers and other equipment. Police are investigating.

Starting with eight classrooms extensively damaged by Hurricane Floyd, this has been an annus horribilis for Abaco Central High School.

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