Members of the St David’s community rallied together last night to object to the potential closure of their primary school.

Parents, staff, former and current students attended St David’s Primary School to discuss the school reorganisation (Score) report and its implications.

The report, released by education minister Wayne Scott last week, contained a scenario that identified the school as a possible candidate for closure along with Heron Bay Primary School, Gilbert Institute and Prospect Primary School. Addressing the crowd, school principal Gladstone Thompson said: “The Score process has inherent good in that it can actually assist all the primary schools to become better. But when it comes to what I think schools are about, and that is instruction and that are results, St David’s Primary meets the standards.”

“I need you to look carefully at these scenarios and then compare it to what is, what we actually have. And I think that what we have is something that our ministry should be proud of,” Mr Thompson highlighted some of the school’s academic achievements and went over the 14 areas considered by the report, which he said did not include academic ability but instead focused on infrastructure.

He said that while some problems, such as rusty picnic tables, had already been addressed, others, such as classroom utilisation and the school buildings’ financial viability, called for a more robust conversation.

“Can we improve? Absolutely,” he said. “Do we think things are so bad that we can’t improve? Absolutely not.”

But Mr Thompson also pointed out some inaccuracies in the report, stating that the school has more than ten community partners even though the reports lists none.

PTA president Patrice Minors questioned whether any of the points raised in the report warranted the closure of the school, which was met with a resounding “no” from the crowd.

“They seem insignificant in my opinion, and it seems so in the opinion of others, to warrant the closure,” she said, adding that “there’s a wealth of things we can do to prevent the closure of this school”.

Ms Minors encouraged parents and members of the community to come together in an “organised, strategic and deliberate” manner to represent the school and be prepared for future issues. She also urged those present to attend a meeting with the education minister at CedarBridge Academy on Tuesday next week, before opening the floor to members of the public. Some expressed concerns about the accuracy of the Score report, with some labelling it and the information it contained as “petty”.

Others raised questions about who compiled the report and who visited the school and for how long, with some suggesting that the committee should perhaps return.

Attendees also stressed the history and importance of the school to the local community. Area MP Lovitta Foggo then addressed the attendees, stating that “this is not a political fight, this is a community fight”.

She also encouraged all to come out to support the school at next week’s meeting.

“We will march to CedarBridge Academy and make certain that we have our voices heard with a very, very loud clamour.”

“Just this meeting here is not sufficient,” she added. “We do need you community members to put your name forward in coming up with ideas to make the message loud and clear that closure is unacceptable.”

But Ms Foggo also stressed that closure was never a recommendation of the Score report.

“I have to ask why, why is something being promoted if it wasn’t a recommendation. You are looking at the best elementary school in Bermuda.”