By LAUREL V WILLIAMS and Venus Honore-Gopie Saturday, August 29 2009

WITH just days to go before their reopening, the lights have gone out at several primary schools because their administrators failed to pay the electricity bills on time.

The Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC) disconnected at least eight denominational and government schools.

Denominational boards recently complained they lacked the funds to pay off their electricity bills, with the Catholic school board declaring it owed TTEC $1 million.

Vos Government Primary School in Gasparillo, Vistabella Presbyterian Primary School at Pointe-a-Pierre Road, Vistabella and Reform Village Hindu School in Gasparillo were among those which had their power cut.

“The Ministry of Education has been informed about the situation. We are not sure what will happen on Tuesday morning,” a source at Vos Government Primary School said yesterday, although he could not say when the electricity was disconnected.

TTEC corporate communications manager Steven Martel confirmed several schools have been disconnected in the past week as part of the company’s overall drive to crack down on overdue bills.

He said several schools were subsequently reconnected after the boards and administrators paid the bills.

“Some schools were disconnected and some were re-connected shortly after. Just like any other customer, they have to pay. We do not discriminate,” Martel said.

A parent of a student who attends Grant Memorial Presbyterian School, San Fernando said staff members have been collecting funds to help pay the TTEC bill.

“I understand they made a payment at TTEC after they got a notice. They are asking us for a $30 contribution to help bay the bill,” the parent said.

Association of Denominational Boards Sat Maharaj said he remained hopeful that power will be restored to Reform Hindu School by Tuesday, when the new school year begins.

Newsday has since learnt that the Ministry of Education has intervened and asked TTEC to restore power to the schools until it received approval from Cabinet to pay off the bills.

Speaking at the post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday, Education Minister Esther Le Gendre addressed the denominational schools call for an increase in their grants to help pay their light bills. Until yesterday, there were no reports that government schools were also behind in their payments.

Le Gendre had said she was concerned about the overdue bills and felt a portion of the grants denominational schools received should have been set aside for their payment.

She noted TTEC had increased its electricity rates which may affect the amount schools can allocate from the grants toward paying these bills.

The denominational schools raised the matter with the ministry and Le Gendre said, “We agreed immediately to look at their case.”

The ministry asked for the affected schools to submit their bills and other information.

“We have since been able to come to an understanding of what the position is by getting our data from other sources.”