Africa-Press – Liberia. More than 100 students from Harper Demonstration School staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday, demanding the immediate resumption of renovation work on their school building, which had been suspended by county authorities.
The protest took place at the Harper Administration Building, where the students, carrying handwritten placards, confronted Maryland County Superintendent Henry B. Cole.
Their action followed public criticism of the Superintendent’s decision to halt a $41,000 renovation project initiated by the Dorbor Bedell Foundation, citing procedural issues.
Placards carried by the students included messages such as “Henry Cole, we want to go to school” and “We didn’t vote for Boakai to give us trouble like this,” expressing frustration over delays in rehabilitating the long-dilapidated school structure.
Student Council President Melvin S.K. Dennis Jr. led the protest and publicly questioned the Superintendent, asking why the project was stopped and whether the government had failed to recognize the school’s condition until a private citizen stepped in.
“We need to know why this development was stopped,” Dennis said. “Should Dorbor Bedell bring relief for us before the government notices us?”
Tensions briefly rose during the encounter when Superintendent Cole responded sharply to the students. However, in a later social media post, Cole adopted a more measured tone and confirmed that renovation work would proceed once all public school safety and infrastructure standards are met.
“I am excited to share with the students and parents of Demonstration High School that the school renovation is moving forward, with a clear plan in place to meet all requirements,” Cole wrote on Facebook. He added that Dorbor Bedell had been informed of the need to elevate the building’s roof and adhere to safety protocols to ensure a secure learning environment.
Cole also noted that engineers from the county would meet with Bedell’s team to finalize technical details. The county government has agreed to contribute to the project’s cost and is exploring temporary relocation options for students during construction.
Despite confirming the project’s continuation, the Superintendent expressed disappointment that Mr. Bedell did not promptly share renovation updates with his team and the public as previously agreed.
In response, Dorbor Bedell confirmed the project’s resumption and expressed full commitment to completing the renovation. He announced that work is expected to restart immediately.
“I am fully committed to renovating the Harper Demonstration School building, and work is expected to restart tomorrow,” Bedell wrote in a Facebook post. “The Superintendent asked us to elevate the roof as the current one is low and prone to leaking, which I totally agree with. We thank the Superintendent for his input and ask the students and parents to exercise patience.”
Although the protesting students did not receive an immediate resolution during their face-to-face exchange with the Superintendent, confirmation that renovation will continue has brought renewed hope to a school community that has long awaited improvements.
With both parties signaling cooperation, focus now shifts to the timely implementation of the project as students, parents, and residents call for political differences to be set aside in the interest of education and youth development.
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