Though there were doubts that it would open for the new academic year, the Portland Cottage All-Age School is in full swing.

In earlier reports, Carol Forbes, the president of the Portland Cottage Citizens' Association, demanded that the school's leaking roof be repaired, and problems with rodent infestation, rotting kitchen cupboards and appliances, and a malfunctioning toilet system be fixed. She had also indicated that she would not support the opening of the school under such conditions.

Forbes, however, told the STAR that the decision to open the school was made after officials from the Ministry of Education visited and expressed their intention to start doing repairs. Since then, the leaking roof has been fixed and, according to Forbes, "They are doing some refurbishing to the bathroom, we got new kitchen cupboards and they did some painting." Though the conditions are not perfect, Forbes says the school "is on its way" to more development.

The school is the only emergency shelter in a community that is often ravaged by floods, and this fuelled the demand for the repairs.