Dominican Republic Accelerates School Construction in Los Alcarrizos

LOS ALCARRIZOS, Dominican Republic — The School Infrastructure Directorate (DIE) is fast-tracking construction and renovation projects across Los Alcarrizos, aiming to deliver 107 new and refurbished classrooms by December of this year.

Following a detailed survey and inspection of various educational centers in the municipality, the DIE ordered an acceleration of work, including the completion, remodeling, rehabilitation, and corrective maintenance of school facilities.

Roberto Herrera, director of School Infrastructure, announced the plans during a joint working session at the Los Alcarrizos City Hall. The meeting included local authorities, contractor engineers, and representatives from the Dominican Teachers' Association (ADP) and the Association of Parents, Mothers, and Friends of the School.

Herrera noted that the survey identified school projects that had been stalled since 2015. The new directive aims to restart and expedite these efforts, with a goal of delivering a total of 361 new classrooms in the municipality. Of these, 254 have already been inaugurated.

The director emphasized that the assessments analyze existing conditions at each school to prioritize the most urgent needs and provide timely solutions. This extensive work represents an investment of 2.078 billion pesos for new facilities in Los Alcarrizos, benefiting 14,440 students and hundreds of teachers. An additional 200 million pesos is earmarked for corrective maintenance.

"Under the framework of Plan 24/7, we are here today to conduct this joint work session with local authorities, the mayor, the governor, the Parents and Friends Association, the ADP, and contractors, to follow up on the completion of classrooms in this municipality, as well as preventive and corrective maintenance," Herrera stated. He added that this initiative is a priority for President Luis Abinader's government, with close supervision from Minister Luis Miguel de Camps, both keen on resolving school issues and strengthening education.

Mayor Junior Santos presented a territorial urban development plan for the next three years, outlining the municipality's classroom needs and the proposed construction of 10 polytechnic schools. He thanked the Ministry of Education and the DIE for their initiative, underscoring the importance of adhering to President Abinader's directives for unified government action.

Santos acknowledged that some school projects from previous administrations were initiated on unplanned land, which has hindered their completion, while others require relocation due to their current status.

Among the educational centers undergoing intervention by the School Infrastructure Directorate are the Rudy María Comas Bautista School, Amín Abel Hasbún Primary School, Las Mercedes Educational Center, and Juana Saltitopa.

Lucrecia Santana Leyba, governor of Santo Domingo province, affirmed the government's commitment to promptly address citizen demands, particularly regarding school classrooms. She asserted that this effort contributes to strengthening the national education system by providing sufficient and appropriate spaces for the entire educational community.

The joint working session at the Los Alcarrizos Municipal City Hall also saw the attendance of Carlos Noé Zapata, head of School Infrastructure supervision; Carlos Martínez, head of Social Empowerment for the DIE; Osiris García, head of Bid Maintenance; Eddy Chávez, Regional Director 15 of the Ministry of Education; María Castillo, Director of School District 15-01; Génesis Santos, municipal president of the ADP; and representatives from social organizations and religious leaders, among other dignitaries.