Orihuela City Council is finalising several options to protect pupils and ensure classes can continue at CEIP Virgen de la Puerta amid longstanding concerns about the building’s structural condition.
Education councillor Vicente Pina said the preferred option is to carry out urgent safety work so pupils can remain at the school. The measures could include strengthening pillars, installing additional supports and closing any classrooms or other areas considered unsafe.
The council hopes to complete the work before the beginning of the academic year or during the first weeks of September. It is preparing an urgent contract, which could be processed as an emergency if necessary.
Officials are also considering delaying the pupils’ return by between seven and ten days if more time is needed to complete the work safely.
According to Pina, the school’s structural problems date back almost to its opening. The building was handed over in 1972 and began receiving pupils in 1973. Cracks were first recorded in 1976, with further reports during the following years identifying problems in classrooms, the dining hall, assembly hall, offices and other parts of the building.
Some areas were supported with temporary props, while technical reports recommended closing several rooms. In 1990, the municipal architect proposed temporarily evacuating the school to allow a full structural study.
Plans for a new school were considered in 1991, but the proposed sites were not accepted. A later project included in the regional Edificant programme in 2018 was rejected by the School Council because it did not provide a complete solution.
In April 2025, the City Council commissioned a detailed structural assessment. The report, delivered in November, followed inspections and tests on the building’s pillars and overall structure. It was formally sent to the Valencian government in February 2026, together with a separate municipal technical report. Both documents concluded that action was needed.
The council has examined five public sites near the existing school for temporary prefabricated classrooms, but none was considered suitable because of its size, location or terrain.
Negotiations to rent a privately owned plot also failed in July. The council is now negotiating for the use of another site owned by Sareb, where prefabricated classrooms could be installed while the existing school is renovated or a permanent alternative is developed.
If experts decide that the current building cannot remain open, pupils could temporarily be transferred to two schools in Orihuela’s outlying districts. Schools in the city centre are already full.
Pina stressed that relocation would be a last resort. If required, the Valencian Education Department would organise the transfer and provide school transport, meals, teaching staff and other necessary services.
“Our priority is to guarantee the safety of the children and provide an appropriate response to families, teachers and the school’s management,” Pina said.
