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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — June 13, 2025 — In a grandiose and emotionally-charged statement on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley triumphantly declared that construction has officially begun on the long-delayed Basseterre High School. But while the public was fed poetic promises and sentimental reflections, one thing was shockingly missing — the facts.

For a project that’s been stalled for more than a decade and remains one of the most controversial in St. Kitts and Nevis’ educational history, the lack of transparency is as deafening as the announcement is loud.

Nowhere in the statement did Dr. Hanley answer basic, urgent questions:

• Who exactly is building this school?
• Was the contract publicly tendered, or handed out behind closed doors?
• What is the total cost of the project — tens of millions?
• Where is the money coming from — CBI funds, foreign aid, or loans?
• Is the site safe, fully cleared of toxins and pollutants from the past chemical exposure scandal?
• Has a new environmental assessment been done — and if so, will it be made public?
• When will the school be completed? Are there timelines? Milestones? Deadlines?

These questions are not rhetorical. They are demands for accountability — and the public deserves answers.

Instead, what citizens got was a heartwarming stroll down memory lane, vague allusions to “21st-century learning,” and a generic thank-you to the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

But this isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about millions of dollars, generations of students, and public trust.

The site of the new Basseterre High School — long plagued by concerns of chemical contamination — has not been cleared publicly by independent environmental experts. No environmental impact study has been released. No proof of soil or water testing has been offered. Has safety been traded for speed? Is this project just another political ribbon-cutting exercise?

And what of the features promised? Is this really a “world-class” institution or just a dressed-up concrete box? Will it include:

• Renewable energy systems?
• Resources for students with disabilities?
• Technical training labs?
• Mental health and counseling services?

Or is this just another glossy press release masking a murky process?

Former students, teachers, and members of the Basseterre community have repeatedly asked to be included in this process. They have called for regular public updates, monthly progress reports, and real transparency on spending. Yet they’ve been met with silence.

With no timeline, no budget disclosure, and no contractor details, the question looms larger than ever:

What exactly is being built behind those fences — a school, or another monument to secrecy and spin?

Until the Ministry of Education and the DPM come clean with full documentation, public tenders, environmental reports, and a defined schedule, this “new BHS” remains a promise shrouded in doubt.

#WhoIsBuildingBHS
#HowMuchIsItCosting
#WhereIsTheCBIMoney
#BasseterreDeservesAnswers
#TransparencyNow
#NoMoreSecrets