In November 2024, after the critical report of the Inspectorate for Education, an interim board was installed to keep the school running and to make the mandatory changes on finance, governance and educational quality. This board consisted of chairman Mr. Devi van Groningen, secretary Ms. Quirine Hakkaart and treasurer Mr. Roger Young. Now, the interim period has come to an end with the changes of the statutes and the appointment of Mr. Marco de Vries, who has recently assumed his role as interim Managing Director of SCS. With the ending of the interim-board period, the Public Entity Saba would like to thank Mr. Roger Young, for his hard work and good results around the school finances.
During the meeting, the four prospective members for the new Supervisory Board were introduced:
Chair Devi van Groningen, vice-chair Ms. Quirine Hakkaart, Mr. Theo Telting and Mr. Hansko Broeksteeg.
The Public Entity welcomed this diverse and experienced team of professionals, who are expected to provide strong oversight and continuity for the school moving forward.
A key topic of discussion was the response to the recommendations outlined in the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science’s (OCW) intended instruction letter (voornemen tot aanwijzing). Due to the significant progress that has already been made, OCW has now decided not to proceed with issuing a formal instruction.
During the meeting with Commissioner Heyliger and Deputy Island Secretary van Duin, the board reviewed several milestones achieved in recent months. These include:
- Improved communication with parents, students, community members, and key stakeholders
- Drafting of updated statutes introducing a more robust two-tier governance structure
- New policies that strengthen social safety at school
In addition, efforts have been made to recruit new teachers, a draft 2025 budget has been submitted, and the final touches are being made to the 2024 annual report. The interim board is also developing standardized templates to ensure these processes are properly embedded for future use.
Following the meeting, a separate working session was held with members of the Island Council. Discussions focused on the Council’s formal legal role in approving the revised statutes and formally appointing the members of the new Supervisory Board. These matters are scheduled to be addressed in an upcoming public Island Council meeting.
The Public Entity Saba recognizes the commitment and collaboration shown by all parties involved and reiterates its strong support for the continued progress of the Saba Comprehensive School.
