An inspection tour of schools in Panama’s San Miguelito District has revealed an urgent need for the removal of bulky waste and debris. The findings come just days before the 2026 academic year is scheduled to begin on March 2. Circuit 8-2 Deputy Luis Duke conducted the oversight visit to assess pre-school maintenance efforts across multiple institutions.
Duke identified significant health and safety hazards at several schools. He reported that discarded items, including old cars, toilets, sinks, chairs, desks, and shelves, remain abandoned on school grounds. The deputy also noted overgrown grass, damaged bathroom doors, and deteriorating roofs and insulation at the sites.
“It’s not just about painting walls. It’s about executing the budget so that schools are dignified spaces,” Duke stated. [Translated from Spanish]
The deputy specifically named the Ángel Rubio Technical Institute, the P. Xavier Villanueva School, the Cerro Viento Rural School, and the República de Francia General Basic Education Center, as facilities requiring immediate attention. His call to action pressures the Ministry of Education (Panama) to accelerate cleanup processes before students return.
Summer 2026 Program Addresses Maintenance Backlog
In response to the impending school year, the Ministry’s National Maintenance Directorate launched the Summer 2026 Program. This initiative aims to provide minor maintenance work at over 820 educational centers before March ends. Officials plan to impact 2,726 schools throughout the year with an investment of $15.3 million.
Nidia Herrera, the Maintenance Coordinator for the San Miguelito Regional Office, confirmed more than 40 schools in the district have already received interventions. The program started in November 2025 with an initial target of 20 schools but was expanded to cover nearly all district facilities.
“The work includes improvements in electricity and plumbing, internal and external painting, changing pavilion colors, and cleaning air conditioners,” Herrera detailed. [Translated from Spanish]
Completed work includes the Carlos A. Mendoza, León A. Soto, and República de Francia schools. Crews are currently active at the Louis Martin General Basic Center, the Louis Martin Technical Institute, the María del Rosario Salazar School, and the Valle de Urracá School. A major project at the Gabriel Lewis Galindo Basic General Educational Center involves a complete electrical system renewal alongside painting and plumbing repairs.
Vandalism Compounds Routine Wear and Tear
Herrera explained that most interventions address natural wear and tear typical of minor maintenance. Acts of vandalism, however, have created additional, costly repairs. She cited the Josefina Tapia School in Veranillo as a prime example. Thieves targeted the school twice recently, forcing crews to reinstall air conditioning units and repair the electrical system.
The San Miguelito region contains 52 official schools, with the regional team directly servicing about 50 of them. Maintenance staff includes between 39 and 45 workers, such as electricians, plumbers, masons, and painters. Funding comes from general maintenance funds, individual school resources, and allocations for specific projects.
Herrera expressed confidence that most centers would be ready for the school year’s start despite vandalism challenges. The Ministry’s Patrimonial Goods Program Directorate conducts an annual process to discard unused furniture, chairs, desks, and technological material. This year’s timeline appears critically tight, echoing concerns about systemic delays in school maintenance programs.
With classrooms set to open in early March, the visible debris and overgrown grounds highlight a persistent gap between planned maintenance and on-the-ground reality. Parents and community members now wait to see if cleanup crews can address the deputy’s concerns in time.