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MARIGOT — The Executive Council of St. Martin has approved revised financing plans for two major school construction projects, increasing the budgets for both the new 900-student secondary school in La Savane and the reconstruction of the 600-student college in Quartier d’Orléans.
The construction of the new 900-student school in La Savane is one of the Collectivité’s flagship education projects and is intended to replace the former Soualiga College in Cul-de-Sac, which was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The project also forms part of a broader reorganization of secondary education on the island by consolidating the Soualiga and Robert Weinum colleges into facilities separate from the high school.
Designed to accommodate approximately 900 students, the new campus will feature modern facilities, fully digital equipment and innovative teaching resources while meeting current environmental standards.
As the project enters its final phase, the Executive Council approved a revised financing plan reflecting increased construction costs. The total project cost has now been set at €44.7 million.
According to the Collectivité, the budget increase is primarily the result of rising construction costs, including contractual price adjustments linked to inflation in the building sector, higher prices for key materials such as steel, concrete and aluminum, and technical modifications made during construction.
Additional factors include delays caused by supply-chain challenges, increased site management expenses, and the incorporation of updated environmental, safety and accessibility requirements.
Quartier d’Orléans school reconstruction
The Executive Council also approved a revised financing plan for the reconstruction of the “Collège 600” in Quartier d’Orléans, bringing the total cost of the project to €28.8 million.
The increase reflects a series of additional works requested during the reconstruction process. These include the installation of a transformer, the integration of alarm, electrical and telephone systems between existing and newly rebuilt structures, the addition of a potable water storage tank and the planned construction of a rainwater harvesting cistern.
The project also included the restoration of the school’s athletics track.
In addition, project planners decided to incorporate a SEGPA section—a specialized educational program designed to support students facing significant learning difficulties. The addition required new functional requirements and specific facility modifications that were not included in the original project design.
The Collectivité noted that the inclusion of these additional components resulted in an extension of the project timeline and contributed to the overall increase in costs.
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