JAMAICA · HURRICANE RECOVERY
Key Facts
- The country Jamaica is a Caribbean island nation of about 2.8 million people and a major travel destination for Americans.
- What happened Of the Jamaica schools hit by Hurricane Melissa, 63 are fully rebuilt and 81 more are 95% to 99% complete.
- The storm Melissa struck as a Category 5 hurricane on 28 October 2025 and affected 682 schools.
- The spending J$9.2 billion (about US$58 million) has been spent on rehabilitating the damaged schools.
- Smaller repairs Repairs are finished at 6 priority-two schools and 1 priority-three school.
- Why it matters American travellers, donors and families with ties to the island all have a stake in the recovery.
Jamaica schools hit by Hurricane Melissa are coming back, with 63 of the worst-hit fully rebuilt and 81 more 95% to 99% finished. Officials gave the figures on Thursday 22 October 2026, days before the storm’s first anniversary.
Melissa struck the island as a Category 5 hurricane on 28 October 2025 and affected 682 schools. For US readers, the rebuilding matters for travel, for charities at work there and for families with ties to Jamaica.
Jamaica Schools Rebuilt So Far
Damaged Jamaica schools were sorted into three priority levels, with priority one needing the most extensive work. So far 63 priority-one schools have been fully rebuilt.
Another 81 schools are between 95% and 99% complete, and repairs are finished at 6 priority-two schools and 1 priority-three school. Junior Education Minister Rhoda Moy Crawford gave the figures at the quarterly briefing of the Education Transformation Oversight Committee.
Dr Adrian Stokes, who chairs that committee, said 682 schools were affected by the hurricane in total. The briefing took place at the University of the West Indies regional headquarters on Thursday 22 October 2026.
The recovery follows other storm stories we have covered, including how Jamaica honoured six police officers for Melissa rescue work. The Jamaica Observer reported the school figures on Friday 23 October.
Where the Money Has Gone
Stokes said J$9.2 billion (about US$58 million) has been spent on rehabilitating the damaged schools. At about 158.8 Jamaican dollars to the US dollar on 23 October 2026, the sum is a little under US$58 million.
In June, Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon said the government had secured J$18 billion (about US$113 million) to rebuild hundreds of damaged schools. She spoke at the Jamaica Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay and asked Jamaicans abroad to keep supporting education.
Private donors have helped as well, led by the Sandals Foundation, the charity arm of the Sandals resort group. It reported a J$214 million (about US$1.3 million) restoration of seven schools, with Good 360, a US nonprofit, supplying a library for one of them.
How the New Schools Differ
Officials including Crawford say Jamaica schools are being rebuilt to a higher standard rather than restored to what stood before. The designs follow the Jamaican building code, with extra measures for ceiling height, window design, natural light and cross-ventilation.
Latoya Harris Ghartey of the National Education Trust said roof requirements were raised, and some buildings were converted to slab or steel frames. Builders are also using longer zinc sheets for roofing.
Classrooms get higher ceilings, ceiling fans, better windows and more ventilation to keep them cooler. The new buildings also include wheelchair access for students with disabilities.
What Slowed the Work
Officials named three obstacles: a shortage of skilled labour, difficulty obtaining building materials and problems with contractors. The Jamaica Observer listed these as the main delays.
Morris Dixon said in June that more than 152,000 students and 8,000 teachers were affected. Every school reopened within 90 days, she said, some of them in tents or temporary buildings.
What It Means for US Readers
Jamaica is a short flight from Florida and a favourite destination for American travellers, so the pace of recovery shapes trips and tourism jobs. Schools are also central to family life in communities across the island, so their return matters to relatives abroad.
US groups such as Good 360 and American Friends of Jamaica have already worked on school projects. The government has also asked its diaspora to back literacy, special education, technology and skills training.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs until 30 November, so a new storm remains a risk for unfinished Jamaica schools. The rebuilt schools are designed to withstand future storms, which is the test the programme will face.
What Is Not Known
The Jamaica Observer report gives no completion date for the 81 Jamaica schools that are nearly finished. No student numbers have been given for the 63 rebuilt schools.
The ministry has not broken the J$9.2 billion (about US$58 million) down by school or by funder. Official totals also differ slightly, with 682 schools counted as affected against 681 in the September priority lists.
More: Jamaica news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Jamaica schools have been rebuilt after Hurricane Melissa?
Officials say 63 priority-one schools have been fully rebuilt. Another 81 schools are between 95% and 99% complete.
How many schools did Hurricane Melissa damage?
Dr Adrian Stokes put the number of affected schools at 682. Melissa struck Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane on 28 October 2025.
How much has Jamaica spent on school repairs?
Stokes said J$9.2 billion (about US$58 million) has been spent so far. In June the education minister said J$18 billion (about US$113 million) had been secured.
Are Jamaica schools open again?
All Jamaica schools reopened within 90 days of the storm, some in tents or temporary buildings. Permanent rebuilding is still under way at many of them.
Can Americans help rebuild Jamaica schools?
US nonprofits such as Good 360 and American Friends of Jamaica have supported school projects. The education minister has asked the Jamaican diaspora to keep backing education.
Sources: Jamaica Observer, 63 schools rebuilt, 81 nearing completion, ministry reports, 23 October 2026; Jamaica Gleaner, Diaspora conference: hurricane-damaged schools to be rebuilt stronger, 15 June 2026; Sandals Foundation, Hurricane Melissa school restoration for the 2026/27 academic year, September 2026.
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