In a landmark step for rural education development in northern Belize, construction has officially kicked off on a new pre-primary and primary school serving the Black Water community of Trial Farm village. This project marks the second major investment in regional education infrastructure delivered in Orange Walk District in just 10 days, signaling a sustained push to expand learning access across the country’s rural zones.
Per an official statement released by the Belizean government, the new facility was designed to directly fill long-standing gaps in accessible early childhood and primary education for residents of Black Water and its neighboring smaller settlements. Beyond simply adding classroom space, the initiative is framed as a strategic investment in youth empowerment, with the explicit goal of unlocking more diverse and promising future opportunities for the next generation growing up in this rural region.
The project is the result of a collaborative partnership between two key stakeholders: Belize’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), a regional financial institution focused on supporting sustainable development across the Caribbean. Local firms are leading the on-the-ground delivery of the build: Anthony Thurton & Associates Ltd. serves as the project consultant, while Kee-Chanona Ltd. has taken on the role of general contractor for the construction phase.
The formal groundbreaking ceremony, held to mark the start of construction, drew a host of senior officials from both the government and the CDB. Attendees included Belize’s Minister of State Ramon Cervantes, as well as Elbert Ellis, the Caribbean Development Bank’s Portfolio Manager for the Social Sector Division, alongside other project leadership and local community representatives.
This latest groundbreaking comes on the heels of another major education milestone in the district just one week prior. On June 23, 2026, officials inaugurated a $581,000 pre-primary facility in Orange Walk’s Santa Cruz Village. That project was also delivered through a multi-partner partnership, bringing together the Belize Social Investment Fund, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Ministry of Education. The new Santa Cruz preschool sits adjacent to the Santa Cruz Government Primary School, which opened its doors in October 2025. Together, the two facilities create a complete, continuous early learning corridor that serves all young children in the Santa Cruz community from early childhood through primary education.