​Nearly 200 primary school students in Barbuda are set to benefit from a new multimillion-dollar school, as the government moves to address years of space constraints at the island’s only primary institution.

Education Minister Daryll Matthew announced Friday that construction of the new facility will begin immediately, with funding already secured through a grant from the Dominican Republic.

The project will replace the longstanding limitations faced at Holy Trinity School, where a shortage of classroom space has forced some students in the lower grades to receive instruction at a separate facility.

The situation at the school worsened following Hurricane Irma in 2017, when several wooden buildings on the compound were destroyed as the powerful storm devastated Barbuda.

Holy Trinity currently serves almost 200 students and has played a central role in education on the sister isle for more than 100 years, making it one of Antigua and Barbuda’s oldest learning institutions.

Matthew said the new school will be a state-of-the-art facility and is expected to cost several million dollars.

The start of construction represents a significant development for education in Barbuda, particularly for students and teachers who have had to operate across separate facilities because of the shortage of adequate space.