(CNS): Almost two decades after then education minister Alden McLaughlin proposed building a new high school in West Bay, the parliament has voted to try again to give the district a school. A private member’s motion presented by veteran West Bay MP McKeeva Bush proposed that Cayman Islands Government start the process to build the Beulah Smith High School.

Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, speaking on behalf of the CIG, said it was “time for it to be resurrected” and that she would begin the legislative process and the necessary business case to justify the project. She said that Bush had conveyed the necessity of the school in his debate, and the government would look to put the millions of dollars required in the upcoming budget to get things moving.

“I will do all within my power to ensure the requisite statutory requirements are completed,” the minister said, with the goal of having a groundbreaking before she and Bush “exit the political stage”. Both Bush and O’Connor-Connolly have said they plan to retire from parliament at the end of this administration.

Bush stated that the school was much needed, not only to meet the growing district needs but to help improve the CIG’s provision of education and reduce traffic congestion to and from George Town as students will be diverted to their own district school. He said it could also be used as a shelter and a recreational facility.

The CIG has also agreed to consider the proposal to require private schools to introduce their own buses. Sir Alden McLaughlin (RED) said it would get thousands of cars off the road and was one of the easiest of the many solutions to Grand Cayman’s traffic problems currently under discussion that could make an immediate difference.

McLaughlin said he was aware of the potential backlash from the schools, as he had begun talking with the schools about this when he was premier, explaining that they were reluctant because of costs. Nevertheless, he said that the government needed to pursue the issue.

The education minister accepted the motion on behalf of the CIG. But although she said that the government would give the motion consideration, she expected that the schools would still be very reluctant to accept the idea, despite the positive impact it could have.

Joey Hew (GTN) suggested that some private schools could be encouraged to share the public school buses, especially those schools along Walkers Road.

These were two of several private members’ motions that parliament debated Thursday night and into Friday morning that were accepted by the government. Other PMMs included the idea of establishing a task force to investigate what is happening to the gratuities of staff working in tourism and implementing a 13% pay rise for civil servants over the next three years.

The government accepted a motion to provide free healthcare to kids and seniors only after Chris Saunders, who brought the motion, agreed to take out the timelines, as Health Minister Sabrina Turner said it would likely cause the government to fall foul of the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility.