Twenty-six schools across the Algarve are waiting for major renovation work, but progress is proving uneven, with some projects already underway and others still trying to secure funding.
The schools were identified under a 2023 agreement between the Portuguese Government and the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities, which established a list of buildings in need of improvement.
Three Algarve schools were classified as requiring very urgent work, 19 as urgent and four as priorities.
The Government has committed to financing the schools covered by the agreement by 2033, although the timing of individual projects depends on funding, planning and how urgently the buildings need attention.
Alexandra Gonçalves, vice-president of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission says the aim is to keep renovation projects moving each year rather than waiting for all the funding to become available at once.
The scale of the work is considerable, with schools in almost every Algarve municipality included.
Some projects are already underway
Four Algarve schools have had renovation projects approved through Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.
They are the Manuel do Nascimento School in Monchique, D. José I School in Vila Real de Santo António, Ferreiras School in Albufeira and Escola Básica das Naus in Lagos.
All four were classified as urgent.
But even projects with approved funding have encountered difficulties.
In Monchique, renovation work involving three school buildings has fallen behind schedule after the contractor, whose headquarters are in the Leiria area, was badly affected by Storm Kristin.
According to Gonçalves, the damage disrupted the company’s ability to meet the strict deadlines attached to PRR funding.
Officials are now considering whether the remaining work could be financed through the Algarve 2030 Regional Programme instead.
That would allow the project to continue, although the funding conditions differ from the PRR, which covered the full cost.
No final decision on the transfer has been announced.
Five more schools await decisions
Other municipalities are seeking support through financing linked to the European Investment Bank.
Faro has submitted a project to renovate D. Afonso III School, one of the three Algarve schools classified as very urgent.
The application is being evaluated and is considered eligible for financing, although the agreement is still being prepared.
Silves and Tavira also sought funding in the first round, but their projects were not sufficiently developed to proceed. They have not been permanently excluded.
A second funding round has brought five more Algarve applications, all currently under review.
These include renovations at Castro Marim’s EB 2,3 school, Padre António Martins de Oliveira Secondary School and Jacinto Correia School in Lagoa, Dr. José de Jesus Neves Júnior School in Faro, and Albufeira Secondary School.
A third application round remains open until the end of December, with priority given to schools classified as very urgent or urgent.
Which schools need the most attention?
The three schools given the highest priority are D. Afonso III School in Faro, Dr Garcia Domingues School in Silves and Dr Jorge Augusto Correia Secondary School in Tavira.
Another 19 schools are classified as urgent, while four fall into the third priority category.
Those four are D. Francisco Cabrita School in Albufeira, Dr. Joaquim Rocha Peixoto Magalhães School in Faro, Dr. António de Sousa Agostinho School in Almancil and Poeta Bernardo de Passos School in São Brás de Alportel.
Silves, Faro and Albufeira have the greatest number of schools on the list, with four each. Portimão has three, while Lagoa, Loulé and Olhão have two apiece.
The remaining schools are spread across other Algarve municipalities.
Why the delays?
One of the biggest challenges is that being identified as needing renovation does not automatically mean a school has the money to carry it out.
Municipalities must first prepare detailed projects, apply for funding and demonstrate that the proposed work meets the requirements of the relevant programme.
Even after funding is approved, construction contracts and deadlines can create further complications.
The newly established Education Unit at CCDR Algarve helps assess funding applications, while other departments oversee the physical and financial progress of construction.
With the Government’s overall commitment extending to 2033, the renovations will take place over several years.
Gonçalves would like to see a steady programme of improvements, with projects prepared in advance so municipalities can apply when new funding becomes available.
For the thousands of pupils and teachers using these buildings, however, the distinction between a school being classified as urgent and actually seeing construction begin is an important one.
Some Algarve schools are already being renovated. Others still have several stages to get through before the work can start.