York outlines options for former MLK School, policing, agriculture, and hospitality training

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Darryl York is calling for clear direction on the future of the former Martin Luther King Jr. School on Mount William Hill, describing the long-idle facility as a national asset that should not be allowed to deteriorate further.

“In a time too often defined by short-term conflicts, distraction and self sabotage, it is vital to refocus on what truly moves a nation forward,” York said. He pointed to the former school as a “quiet landmark,” adding, “This building is far more than concrete and walls. It is history. It is memory. It is a living chapter of our collective story.”

For decades, the school served as a pillar in the community, educating generations of St. Maarteners who later became leaders, professionals, and community builders. “Its halls were once filled with discipline, curiosity, laughter, and ambition,” York said. “Today, that same structure stands idle. Open. Hollow. Silent.”

York said that, to his understanding, after 10-10-10 the building was signed over to the Ministry of Justice. “More than a decade has passed since then, and with each passing year the building deteriorates further,” he said, noting that for former students, now seniors in the community, the building’s condition is painful. “What was once a source of pride now feels forgotten.”

York said he has formally written to the Minister of Justice to request information on government’s plans for the building. “Not to inflame debate, but to understand its direction,” he said. “At a time when St. Maarten faces real and pressing challenges, it is difficult to justify allowing a facility with such strategic and historical value to remain unused.”

As part of his outreach, York outlined several practical options that he said merit serious consideration, starting with a police sub station. York said such a facility could strengthen police presence and response capability for surrounding districts including Dutch Quarter, Belvedere, Middle Region, and Illidge Road, areas that have consistently called for enhanced safety and visibility.

York also pointed to possibilities that extend beyond the justice sector. One option is repurposing the building into a School of Agriculture, modeled on regional examples such as Antigua’s conversion of the former Glanvilles Secondary School. York said an agriculture program could focus on crop production, poultry farming, hydroponics, and food security, with existing classrooms adapted into labs, training spaces, and small-scale agricultural projects. With food security growing in urgency, he said this would align education with national resilience.

A third option raised by York is a hotel and hospitality training school, an idea he said has been discussed for years but remains underdeveloped. He noted that while St. Maarten’s economy is driven by tourism and service standards are often emphasized, local training infrastructure remains limited. A dedicated training school could prepare young people and career switchers with practical skills, strengthening employment prospects and the island’s tourism product.

York stressed that his appeal is not intended as an accusation or an attempt to impose a single solution. “It is rooted in concern and in belief,” he said, adding that governance works best when it remembers the country’s foundations, recognizes existing assets, and acts before valuable infrastructure is lost to neglect.

“Mount William Hill still stands. The building still stands. And with vision, so can its purpose,” York said. “Our elders deserve to see their memories respected. Our communities deserve thoughtful solutions. And our country deserves leadership that prioritizes substance over spectacle, progress over neglect, and the future over the noise of the moment.”

York concluded with a broader reflection on stewardship and national priorities: “How we treat the spaces that built us says everything about how seriously we take the future we claim to be building.”

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