By Ben T.C. Brooks
River Gee County | Feb. 4, 2026 | More than 300 pupils attending Depecpo Public School in Deabo Parken, River Gee County, are being educated under hazardous conditions as the school’s dilapidated infrastructure continues to deteriorate, raising serious safety concerns for both students and staff.
In an interview with Verity News, the school’s principal, Daniel Copeland, disclosed that the institution is severely constrained by a lack of classrooms, desks, and administrative offices to adequately support its growing enrollment.
The situation, he noted, has resulted in overcrowded classrooms and an unsafe learning environment.
Established in 1972, Depecpo Public School was originally built through community self-help initiatives. Since its founding, residents have repeatedly mobilized to repair the structure whenever damages occurred.
However, Principal Copeland said the extent of the current deterioration has overwhelmed the community’s capacity to respond.
“The people have done all they can. The building is badly damaged, and the community can no longer continue with self-renovation,” Copeland explained.
Due to the shortage of space, the school administration has been forced to erect a temporary structure to serve as offices for teachers, the registrar, and the principal, further underscoring the pressing need for a permanent solution.
Staffing challenges compound the infrastructure crisis. The school currently employs only two government-paid teachers, supported by five volunteer instructors.
Principal Copeland has therefore appealed to the Ministry of Education to place additional teachers on the government payroll to ensure effective teaching and learning within the district.
Amid these difficulties, hope has emerged for the pupils and residents of Deabo Chiefdom.
Principal Copeland revealed that the Kuncare Foundation, owned by Cllr. Kunkunyon Teh, has committed to constructing a modern school facility to replace the unsafe structure and eliminate the risk facing pupils.
According to the principal, preparatory work for the project is already in progress.
“Sand, crushed rock, bricks, cement, and other construction materials have begun arriving at the school site. We are now awaiting the completion of site clearing before the official groundbreaking,” he said.
The development has been warmly welcomed by residents of Deabo Chiefdom, where women, men, and elders alike praised the Kuncare Foundation for its timely intervention.
Community members also called on other individuals and organizations to support educational development in the area.
Expressing frustration over years of neglect, Mercy Nyanpan, a resident of Tugbaken Town, questioned the absence of government-led development projects in the chiefdom.
“Since the time of our forefathers, there has been no government project in Deabo, no school, no health facility, nothing. Are we truly part of River Gee County or Liberia?” she asked.
When completed, the proposed school complex is expected to feature eight classrooms, administrative offices, a library, storeroom, bathrooms, a kitchen, and teachers’ quarters, among other essential facilities.
Deabo Chiefdom lies within Electoral District Three, represented by Representative Johnson S.N. Williams, whose hometown is reportedly a 30 – minute walk from Depecpo Public School in Parken.
The chiefdom comprises four towns: Tugbaken, Parken, Youwroken, and Saykliken.
