The Ministry of Education recognised the “deep concern and emotional investment” of the community of St David’s as its sole primary school faces closure.

A campaign group, Keep Our School Open, met on Monday to discuss a presentation that will be made to the Government, making the case for St David’s Primary School to continue operating.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry said: “The decision to consider the closure of any school is profoundly challenging and is not approached lightly. Our commitment is to ensure all students have access to the best possible educational environment.

“It's important to underscore that the potential closure of schools is part of a broader strategy to right-size our educational system, ensuring that we can allocate resources more effectively for the holistic development of our students in a reformed educational landscape.

“Upon receipt and thorough analysis of the History and Legacy Report, alongside ongoing stakeholder consultations, we will be in a position to provide a more detailed and public update.

“We appreciate the patience and input of the community as we navigate these decisions with the utmost care and commitment to our children's future."

The Government committed to redrawing its primary-school closure criteria to include a history and legacy component, not least in response to protests by a group calling for West End Primary School to remain open.

The West End Warriors argued that the school’s legacy as one of the first to accept Black pupils should be taken into consideration, among other factors.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education, said at a press conference on November 9 that the work of the Government’s History and Legacy Committee, formed to consider submissions from primary schools, will be completed by the end of this month.

The ministry’s statement added: “As previously announced in July, a rescoring process was initiated for parishes with multiple primary school sites.

“This process uniquely includes a history and legacy component, reflecting our dedication to respecting and understanding the rich histories of our schools.

“Each school, including St David's Primary, was invited to contribute to this process by nominating three representatives for discussions with the History and Legacy Working Group.

“Any submissions and documentation from St David’s or any other school have been forwarded to the working group and we will meet them soon.”

The Keep Our School Open group released a statement after Monday’s town hall meeting that highlighted some of the success stories of St David’s Primary, which was the first fully integrated school in Bermuda.

It said the school is “central to the St David’s community, producing doctors, scientists, teachers, athletes, members of Parliament, boat pilots, skilled tradesmen and many other notable members of the community”.

Henry Dowling, a former pupil of the school and a member of Keep Our School Open, said: “St David’s Primary sits right at the heart of the St David’s community.

“Many of us who attended the school can trace our love of education and subsequent career path directly back to the values and standards instilled in us by the school.

“For us it was more than just a school ― it was central to our community where parents, teachers and neighbours came together to ensure that children were safe and cared for.

“The friendships we made there became the fabric of the tight-knit community that we know today.

“On behalf of a part of the island that has already lost so much, first with annexation of land for the US base, and more recently with the loss of our post office, grocery store and restaurant, we will be making a strong and impassioned case to keep open the nurturing community school that has set up so many of us for success.

“Without the school, St David’s will be left derelict. This is why we are fighting for our school and for our community.”

The group has launched a petition to keep the school open that attracted more than 570 signatures by yesterday afternoon.