Dwight Nelson, Gleaner Writer

The new year started smoothly at most schools in Clarendon, despite the recent passage of Tropical Storm Gustav.

Portland Cottage Primary, situated in the disaster-prone community of Portland Cottage, saw a large number of students arrive early for school.

"It is a high turnout today, as was expected, because there has been no damage to houses or other facilities in the community, due to Gustav, that would stop them from coming," Delinda Chablal, principal of Portland Cottage Primary, told The Gleaner. "However, if it rains, the school population will go down because some of the areas are always flooded and the roads get impassable."

Portland Cottage Primary was used as a shelter during the passage of Gustav. However, all persons left by Saturday.

Smooth sailing

It was also smooth sailing at the Bustamante Secondary School, as a large segment of the school population turned out. The school was used as a shelter for residents from the Rocky Point community. However, Principal Leroy Learmond told The Gleaner that evacuees left the day after Gustav had passed.

"There is, however, a shortage of two third-form classrooms, which is due to the fact that the school received 100 extra GSAT (Grade Six Achievement Test) students from the Ministry of Education," he said.