By The Star Staff
Unless it gets a much needed injection of funds in March, Carvin School, one of the few English-immersive educational institutions in Carolina, could be forced to close its doors for good in May, a victim of the decline in population, the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in the cost of living.
Emma Sulsona, president of the Private Education Association, lamented the school’s closing, noting that private schools in Puerto Rico have had to work to survive despite the population decline, the pandemic and natural disasters without government financial support.
“This is very lamentable,” she said. “Private schools have had to work during the crisis without government help.”
In a letter to students this week, Carvin School administrator Myriam de los Santos said the school, which was founded in 1970, had to deal with situations outside of its control such as the pandemic, population migration, increasing costs and natural disasters.
“At this critical time, we are waiting for essential funds, programmed for March,” she said. “However, if these funds do not materialize, we will be forced to consider the closing of our institution.”
De los Santos said the school will continue to operate normally until May of this year, and informed parents that students’ academic files were available.
Carvin School is one of the few schools in Carolina that teaches all classes in English, allowing students to become fluent in the language. The school teaches English and Spanish as first languages.
Last year, most private schools, which depend on registration costs for survival, had to increase the monthly fees or cut expenditures to be able to survive increased costs, such as the hike in the minimum wage.
Sulsona said the Association advises school administrators to avoid large and costly construction projects, to be careful with their expenditures and to be proactive in their programs to avoid situations that will force schools to shut down.
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