Historical review of Corn Island Ebenezer Baptist School
The Ebenezer Baptist School of Corn Island was founded by Reverend Edward Kelly in 1852. He was the first person interested in promoting education on the Corn Islands since at that time there was no school to teach the islanders to read and write.
Kelly began the first academic institution on the Corn Islands with approximately 20 students. For many years, he stayed on Great Corn Island serving as pastor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church and his wife as principal of the school with Ms. Edna Morgan as one of the first teachers.
Since its foundation, the school remained open until 1933 and was closed due to economic factors and because Ms. Morgan had to move back to her native country-Jamaica, thus leaving the school with no one to teach.
In 1957, the school reopened its doors and this time with a new building. At this time, the academic offer was from preschool to fourth grade, with an enrollment of 35 students. In the following years, grades fifth and sixth were added. Then years after, in 1967, the secondary modality was opened with grades from seventh to ninth. The school was once more closed due to economic issues.
On February 15, 1977, the Ebenezer Baptist School was reopened with 30 students enrolled in preschool. The student population was constantly growing, and new classrooms had to be built due to the demand. Since 1977, the school has remained open and has continued to strengthen its curriculum and improve its infrastructure. In 1999, the first eleventh-grade graduation was held, these students graduated with a general diploma or bachelor's degree in Letters and Science—as it is called according to the Nicaraguan General Education Law.
In 2006, Ms. Verona Hoy became vice principal of the school and worked along with Ms. Leda Bryan until 2007. Mr. Cesar Siu then became the principal, with Ms. Heily Dixon as vice principal. After Mr. Cesar left the direction, Ms. Cedema Aragon became principal with Ms. Heily as vice principal, who later became principal in 2009. Ms. Heily worked along with Ms. Candida Fuller for three months, and later Ms. Marie Rigby became vice-principal of the school until her retirement in 2022.
In the last two decades, the student population of the school has been growing, and new infrastructure projects have been taking place to allow better conditions for students. The school currently has its own basketball court, a computer lab, a library, and various classrooms that are occupied for teaching students from the primary modality, which is from preschool to sixth grade, and secondary modality, which extends from seventh to eleventh grade.
The Ebenezer Baptist School is a mission of the Ebenezer Baptist Church to promote quality education and educate young people of the Corn Islands with Christian values, and social and academic excellence skills. The administrative head of the school is the principal along with the vice principal, who responds to the School Board, which is integrated by members of the church and holds authority over the school. There is also the Parents Council that is integrated by 15 parents of students that seek the welfare of the school and its students.
