Priority Schools List
Choose a specific school to support through Adopt-A-School or Support a Named School
Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025, as a Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph winds—the strongest ever recorded to strike Jamaica. More than 600 educational institutions were affected, with catastrophic damage across western and southern parishes.
All contributions support specific named schools
Review the schools below, identified by Jamaica's Ministry of Education. Select the school you want to support, then choose: Adopt-A-School (with partnership) or Support a Named School (contribution only).
Adopt-A-School Program
A coordinated response to restore learning environments and support affected school communities
The Priority Schools list represents a collaboration between Jamaica's Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MoEYI), the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), and 21stCenturyEd's Adopt-A-School initiative. This partnership ensures that restoration efforts are guided by official damage assessments, managed through transparent fiduciary processes, and coordinated to maximize impact.
The Ministry of Education identifies schools based on the extent to which devastating hurricane damage is affecting the learning environment and the continuity of the school day. AFJ serves as the fiduciary partner, receiving and disbursing all funds directly to restoration work under the Ministry's oversight. School2School™ coordinates the partnership invitation, creating space for schools to figure out their own shared experience together while ensuring the relationship remains grounded and dignified.
Schools are organized into four priority tiers based on destruction level, student population affected, distance from landfall, and critical infrastructure needs. This prioritization enables donors and partner schools to direct resources where they are most urgently needed.
Ministry of Education
Identifies schools requiring restoration, determines scope of work, and oversees the restoration process. Decisions come from Jamaica, from educators who know their schools.
American Friends of Jamaica
Serves as fiduciary partner. All funds raised for school restoration are contributed through AFJ, which receives and disburses funds directly to restoration work with complete transparency and auditing.
21stCenturyEd / School2School™
Coordinates the partnership invitation, creating space for schools to figure out their own shared experience together. Provides communication support when helpful, and ensures relationships remain grounded, dignified, and focused on lasting connection.
Geographic Distribution of Priority Schools
Interactive map showing the 26 priority schools affected by Hurricane Melissa. Schools are color-coded by damage tier, with proximity to the landfall point indicating severity of impact.
Map Legend
Note: School locations are approximate, based on town centers. The dashed circle represents a 50km radius from the hurricane's landfall point at New Hope, Westmoreland.
Tier 1: Catastrophic Destruction
5 schools • 2,840 students • Immediate emergency response required
St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS)
Damage Assessment:
Complete destruction of Grade 11 block with no roof remaining. Grades 7 and 9 blocks sustained severe roof damage. Principal and teacher cottages damaged, dormitories destroyed, track and field stands demolished, perimeter walls broken, school farm and greenhouse completely destroyed.
Critical Needs:
- Complete reconstruction of Grade 11 block
- Roof replacement for multiple buildings
- Dormitory rebuilding
- Mental health support for students and staff
- Temporary structures for 1,700 students
- Exam preparation facilities for CSEC and CAPE students
Recovery Timeline: 8-12 months to normalcy
The Manning School
Damage Assessment:
Historic Thomas Manning Building (designated national monument, built early 20th century) completely demolished and reduced to rubble. Auditorium zinc roof ripped away, walkways uneven, administrative buildings destroyed.
Critical Needs:
- Complete demolition and reconstruction of historic Thomas Manning Building
- Auditorium roof replacement
- Walkway restoration
- Structural engineering assessment
- Heritage preservation consultation
Recovery Timeline: 12+ months (heritage reconstruction)
Bluefields Basic School
Damage Assessment:
Complete roof loss, all windows destroyed, all contents including furniture, computers, school supplies, and books destroyed beyond recovery.
Critical Needs:
- Complete roof reconstruction
- Window replacement
- New furniture and computers
- All school supplies and books
- Temporary learning space immediately
Recovery Timeline: 6-9 months
The Salvation Army Basic School (Auldayr)
Damage Assessment:
Complete structural collapse, lies in rubble, 95% destruction in Bluefields Bay area.
Critical Needs:
- Complete school rebuilding from rubble
- Temporary structure needed immediately
Recovery Timeline: 12+ months (complete rebuild)
Tier 2: Severe Damage
15 schools • 8,415 students • Urgent major repairs needed
William Knibb Memorial High School
Damage Assessment:
Administrative buildings' roofs completely lost, classroom blocks' roofs torn off. Only the principal's cottage, auditorium, and slab-roof buildings saved. School served as designated shelter during hurricane. Principal watched helplessly as roof was ripped off most of historic structure.
Critical Needs:
- Full roof replacement for administrative and classroom blocks
- Window replacement throughout
- Ground floor rehabilitation
- Alternative shelter location needed
- Exam facilities for exit students
Alma mater of athletics icon Usain Bolt, named after English Baptist minister William Knibb who worked to free enslaved Africans.
Cornwall College
Damage Assessment:
Entire classroom blocks without roofs, complete window loss, severe structural damage to multiple buildings, equipment destroyed.
Critical Needs:
- Complete roof replacement for multiple classroom blocks
- Window installation throughout
- Structural repairs
- Equipment replacement
- Temporary learning spaces
Cornwall College Old Boys' Association chapters worldwide mobilizing emergency relief efforts.
Black River High School
Damage Assessment:
Extensive structural damage, major roof loss, used as evacuation shelter, severe flooding throughout facility.
Critical Needs:
- Major structural repairs
- Roof reconstruction
- Facility rehabilitation
Located in Black River, described as looking 'like a war zone' after the hurricane.
Black River Primary and Infant School
Damage Assessment:
Main academic institution in parish capital of St. Elizabeth suffered significant structural damage. UNESCO teams found destroyed textbooks, furniture, and learning aids. Children and youth temporarily unable to attend classes.
Critical Needs:
- Structural repairs
- Replacement of all textbooks, furniture and learning materials
- Facility restoration to enable children to return to classes
UNESCO participated in assessment missions led by Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
Munro College
Damage Assessment:
One of Jamaica's oldest boarding institutions had roofs destroyed despite being rebuilt after Hurricane Beryl damage in 2024. Classrooms flooded, therapy rooms damaged, boarding facilities compromised, grounds badly damaged.
Critical Needs:
- Comprehensive roof system replacement
- Classroom restoration
- Therapy room reconstruction
- Learning materials replacement
- Grounds restoration
- Boarding facility repairs
Principal noted they were 'probably the worst-affected school coming out of Hurricane Beryl' and had invested in resilient roofing, which still failed under Melissa's Category 5 force.
Holland High School
Damage Assessment:
Severe damage to school that served as designated shelter. Shelter began leaking during hurricane's passage, forcing evacuees to relocate. Roof compromised, extensive flooding throughout.
Critical Needs:
- Major structural assessment
- Roof replacement
- Alternative shelter location
- Flooding remediation
St. Hilda's Diocesan High School
Damage Assessment:
Campus standing for over a century brought to its knees. Broken windows, torn furniture, two of three peaks/roofs lost, dorms severely leaking, offices affected by water damage, vice principal residence roof lost, principal cottage roof totally gone. Principal had to grab tarpaulins during the night to cover what he could.
Critical Needs:
- Roof reconstruction for peaks and cottages
- Dormitory repairs
- Water damage remediation
- Furniture replacement
- Principal and vice principal residence repairs
Boarding department cannot return students in short term due to structural beam damage.
Hampton School
Damage Assessment:
Girls' boarding school with multiple sections damaged, boarding department severely affected, roofs destroyed, significant student displacement especially in St. Elizabeth area.
Critical Needs:
- Roof replacement
- Boarding facility restoration
- Classroom repairs
- Support for displaced students and families
Efforts underway to arrange school hosting for severely affected students.
Revival Primary School
Damage Assessment:
Located near parish border where Hurricane Melissa made landfall. Sustained extensive damage preventing students' return for weeks. Area has no electricity, cell service out due to downed towers.
Critical Needs:
- Comprehensive repairs to enable student return
- Structural assessment
Sav Inclusive School
Damage Assessment:
School for children with disabilities (ages 3 through grade 6), less than 10 miles from landfall. Built by Rockhouse Foundation, had roofs torn off, classrooms flooded, therapy rooms and learning materials destroyed, grounds badly damaged.
Critical Needs:
- Roof replacement
- Classroom restoration
- Therapy equipment replacement
- Learning materials
- Grounds clearing and repair
- Special needs accommodations
Serves children with disabilities requiring specialized facilities and equipment.
Sir Clifford Campbell Primary School
Damage Assessment:
Devastating damage in Savanna-la-Mar with major structural issues. Groundskeeper described impact as 'devastating...really, really hard. People are...some now still in shelter'.
Critical Needs:
- Major structural repairs
- Facility restoration
Tier 3: Moderate Damage
5 schools • 1,175 students • Significant repairs required
Chester Primary and Infant School
Damage Assessment:
Built in 1950s with very little repairs over seven decades. One classroom exposed after zinc sheet dislodged, water tanks destroyed and burst, power lines destroyed, water damage to textbooks and furniture. Grille-only classrooms (no doors) allowed water entry.
Critical Needs:
- Zinc sheet replacement
- Water tank replacement
- Power line restoration
- Textbook replacement
- Furniture replacement
- Water supply system
Principal grateful damage 'wasn't as bad as we anticipated' given building's age.
Tier 4: Minor Damage
1 school • 1,000 students • Operational with minimal support
Glenmuir High School
Damage Assessment:
Escaped worst of Category 5 devastating hurricane with only loss of electricity and running water for a few days. No major damage reported.
Critical Needs:
- Power and water restoration only
School returned to full operations. Conducting psychosocial sessions and offering support to students from other affected schools.