Sant Ferran’s new school and nursery to open doors September 2021

foto 2020 nova escola 1Consell de Formentera president Alejandra Ferrer and education councillor Susana Labrador met today with Balearic premiere Francina Armengol and regional education, universities and research minister Martí March to visit the site where a new nursery (escoleta) and primary school are being built in Sant Ferran.

On hand for the visit were two of Formentera’s deputy premieres, Ana Juan and Rafael Ramírez; the Eivissa-Formentera envoy from the Balearic education ministry, Margalida Ferrer; the head of the regional planning, management and centres office, Antoni Morante; as well as representatives of the Sant Ferran school administration and parents’ association and assorted authorities.

Balearic officials said they had every indication the buildings would be operational by no later than the 2021-2022 school year.

President Ferrer described the future schools as “highly anticipated and badly needed” and applauded the local educational community’s patience waiting for the new infrastructure. “We hope that the next time we’re here will be to celebrate the opening of Sant Ferran’s new school and nursery”, she said.

Project
Plans for the two centres were drafted by IBISEC and, in the case of the primary school, envisage ‘two-line’ facilities (tailored for 2 groups at each grade level): 6 groups of three to six year olds and 12 groups of six to twelve year olds, or 450 pupils all together. The primary school will sit atop a 11,037m2 parcel located on the outskirts of town, and just beside the future escoleta — another two-line centre designed to accommodate 74 zero to three year olds.

The comb-shaped building’s spine will run alongside a corridor that grants access to administrative offices and the school cafeteria, which will double as a welcome space for early arrivals as well as a venue for public events.

Older primary pupils will attend classes in a complex made up of three pavilions. One pavilion will house common areas like the library, computer lab, teachers’ lounge, and multipurpose and small-group room; the remaining two pavilions —buildings with a central hallway and classrooms on either side— will house the twelve upper primary classes.

A porch area connects the courtyard areas of the lower primary levels and nursery, simultaneously separating those segments of the school from the upper primary students’ courtyard. The school gymnasium is located behind these areas.

Construction of the primary school will be paid for by the Balearic Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, while construction of the municipal lower primary school will be paid for by the Consell de Formentera. The work will cost €6.7 million all told, with the Govern balear assuming €5.8 million for the school, and the Consell picking up €1.1 million for the nursery.

The Sant Ferran school currently accommodates 328 pupils and occupies a parcel which is not zoned for further expansion, hence the decision to classify the new schools as a top priority in the Balearic ministry’s 2016-2023 Educational Infrastructure Plan (PIE).

The PIE envisions similar build outs on every island in the region — part of a strategy to respond systematically and objectively to structural needs at Balearic schools.

The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the ERDF’s Operational Programme for 2014-2020.


18 November 2020
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera