A multi-million-dollar ‘state of the art’ high school in George Town was officially opened Monday to much fanfare and celebration – 15 years after construction began.
The new John Gray High School on Olympic Way features a large modern building with administration offices, dedicated-use classrooms, a performing arts centre and more.
About 1,200 pupils have now moved over to school from the old campus which was located on the same road.
Work began on the project in 2008 before stalling several times, causing the government to continually increase its budget, but Monday, 20 March, finally marked its completion.
Students, staff, officials and well-wishers gathered at the Grand Cayman school’s vast gymnasium to mark the occasion with music, speeches and thanks.
Opening the event, Lyneth Monteith, acting chief officer at the Ministry of Education, described the new school as a “world class teaching and learning facility”.
“The new facility will undoubtedly provide students with a state-of-the-art learning environment that will inspire and challenge them to reach their full potential,” she said.
“We are confident that the new school building will provide a foundation for an even brighter future for the children of the Cayman Islands.”
‘Challenge yourself’
Governor Martyn Roper, who completes his four-and-a-half-year term next week, said it was an “absolutely joyous and wonderful occasion” that he was truly excited to be a part of.
He called the facility “genuinely world class”, adding, “I’m sure this must be one of the best schools with facilities like that in this region.”
The governor encouraged students to take advantage of everything their new school has to offer.
“Use the extra space and resources to explore your passions, challenge yourself academically, and engage in extracurricular activities,” he said.
Roper told principal Jonathan Clark that his dedication to the students is truly inspiring, and he praised the former and current government for their commitment to education.
Premier Wayne Panton described construction that continued through three administrations and said the opening of the school was a long time coming.
He told the gathered guests it was a phenomenal day, adding “we could not be more proud of this historic moment”.
The campus rivals “any other school in the region, and I would say in the world”, he said, and it took place through the combination of years of hard work and time invested.
The premier told the students that it is up to them to fill the buildings with character, excellence, happiness, kindness and fun.
Also speaking at the opening was Minister for Education Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, who thanked God for the opportunity to build the facility.
She told a story of an accident which caused her to wear sunglasses at the event, and she removed them to expose a swollen eye, adding “without a test you don’t have a testimony”.
The minister said she was grateful for being part of a government that has a vision so that the public “will not have the option to perish”.
She told the pupils the government has provided them with everything they need to succeed, and “it’s now up to you to knock it out of the park when the next results come in”.
All about progress
Clark, who was last to take to the podium, first presented a student who dubbed John Gray High School the best school in the Cayman Islands, to much applause.
The principal, who has led John Gray since 2016, spoke about the high school’s achievements, saying it may not have the best attainment rates but the new facility is all about progress.
“This is a school that Cayman should be very proud of, and that is at the cutting edge of functional school design and the envy of the world.”
He added, “This awesome space gives us the best opportunity to make our world class drive for excellence a reality.”
Following the event, which included musical performances and slide shows, guests were invited to watch O’Connor-Connolly, Panton and Roper cut the ribbon to officially open the school before taking a tour.
According to the John Gray High School website, Rev. George Hicks, a Church of Scotland missionary and inspector of schools, opened the Cayman High School in 1949.
Funding was difficult for the church so the government offered financial assistance in 1961, taking over complete control in 1964.
The school merged with Secondary Modern in 1970 and became a senior comprehensive.
When the number of students became increasingly difficult to manage, the Cayman Islands Middle School was created in 1979 to feed into the Cayman Islands High School.
These two schools grew to be equal in size and were renamed George Hicks High School and John Gray High School in 1992.
Plans to build a new John Gray High School campus kicked off in 2008, but met many delays. Click through the timeline below to read more.
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