On the small Caribbean island of Caye Caulker, Belize, a beloved local high school has made the firm decision to stand its ground and remain independent, turning down a government proposal that would have absorbed the institution into a new state-run secondary campus. The June 2026 announcement caps months of tense negotiations between school leadership and government officials, and comes amid longstanding infrastructure challenges that have disrupted classes for the school’s student body.
What was initially framed as a collaborative solution to Ocean Academy’s pressing space and infrastructure crisis quickly unraveled after government negotiators made a non-negotiable demand: the private nonprofit school would have to voluntarily surrender its operating license to make way for the new public institution. Under the original proposal, floated late last year, the government planned to partner with Ocean Academy to address the school’s long-running issues with chronic flooding, toxic mold infestations, and rampant mosquito populations that have forced the school to shift to online learning and host classes in borrowed community spaces for months. Construction on the new state high school is still scheduled to break ground next month, but it will move forward without Ocean Academy’s participation.
Principal Noemi Zaiden confirmed that the school’s stakeholder community — including parents, students, alumni, and local supporters — overwhelmingly rejected the government’s terms. “What we’ve been told is that the new government high school would have no ties to Ocean Academy, and we were also asked to voluntarily revoke our license,” Zaiden explained. “After consulting our stakeholders, it was clear they did not want us to surrender our license, so Ocean Academy will remain an independent high school serving Caye Caulker.”
To address its immediate infrastructure needs, the school has already begun adapting its current campus to the island’s flood risks, moving all core instructional and administrative spaces to the second story and permanently abandoning the flood-prone ground floor. School leadership aims to have all students back on a physical campus by the start of the new academic term in August. In the short term, two modular movable classrooms will be installed on a nearby elevated parcel of land to keep students close to the existing campus while long-term plans are finalized. Counselor Elizabeth Usher noted that the modular solution was designed to accommodate the upcoming rainy season, as the school continues to monitor flood risks on the original site.
Andre Perez, the Area Representative for Belize Rural South who has been shepherding the government’s new high school project, said he respects Ocean Academy’s right to retain its independence, but made clear he is disappointed by the outcome. “That is most unfortunate. Deeply disheartening,” Perez told reporters. “We all recognized the urgency of expanding high school access on the island, and we thought we could work together to make that happen. There were unfounded allegations that ministry officials had sold off public beachfront land for the project, which we clarified, and we had a productive meeting. The Ministry of Education was clear that this would be a government-run institution, with all teachers and students transferred to the new campus, but Ocean Academy wanted to retain its own unique curriculum and institutional identity, which did not align with the government’s plan.”
Now Ocean Academy is turning to community and donor support to fund its independent path forward, launching a public fundraising campaign to cover the cost of the temporary modular classrooms and secure a larger plot of land for a permanent, flood-resilient campus. Founder Heidi Curry says the school already has preliminary commitments from donors ready to contribute to a down payment for the permanent campus once a suitable property is finalized, and project updates will be posted regularly on the school’s official website. “The next update will include specific numbers for the cost of the temporary classrooms, and as soon as we lock in the parcel for our permanent home, we will share full details about the down payment and construction timeline we’re targeting,” Curry said.
While Perez confirmed that Ocean Academy currently qualifies for free tuition for its students through the national government’s Education Upliftment program, it remains unclear whether the school will retain access to this public funding in future years after rejecting the government’s takeover proposal.