The Councilor for Education, Vicente Pina, has detailed the actions coordinated by Orihuela City Council to ensure student safety and the continuity of educational activity at CEIP Virgen de la Puerta. Pina aimed to explain the center's background in response to information questioning municipal action.
Structural problems date back to the building's construction, received in 1972. As early as 1976, cracks were detected in the multipurpose room and the playground. Subsequent reports, such as one from 1977, warned of potential collapse danger, and another from 1978 confirmed cracks in several classrooms and facilities. Monitoring devices were placed to track crack evolution, and shoring measures were adopted.
In 1990, a report proposed temporary evacuation for a comprehensive study. The following year, 1991, the City Council offered land for a new center, as the regional Ministry deemed rehabilitation unfeasible. "We are talking about a problem that has persisted for decades," stated Pina, recalling the first shoring in 1977.
Within the Plan Edificant in 2018, an intervention was proposed that the School Council did not consider comprehensive, requesting a viable alternative. Since 2023, Pina has gathered information and highlighted the department's lack of human resources, which decreased from ten employees in 2017 to only three in 2023, without the necessary technical staff for maintenance.
The City Council has initiated the contracting of an exhaustive technical study, delivered in November 2025. The document, sent to the regional Ministry in February 2026, aligns with a municipal report on the need for action. Pina refuted claims of poor communication with the Ministry, asserting that the regional administration was already aware of the situation.
One of the initial options is seeking a nearby plot for prefabricated classrooms, but the five sites studied did not meet the requirements. Negotiations have begun with a private owner and now with Sareb. Meanwhile, an urgent contract is being processed for immediate action on the current building, including safety measures like the preventive closure of certain areas.
The goal is to complete the work before September. A slight delay in student enrollment is being considered if necessary. As a second alternative, should technical reports deem it impossible to maintain educational activity, students might be temporarily relocated to other schools in outlying districts, with the Ministry handling transport and services.
Pina rejected criticisms of municipal inaction, emphasizing coordinated efforts since the start of the term to resolve a long-standing issue. "It is not true that work is not being done," he affirmed, assuring that efforts are focused on guaranteeing student safety and educational continuity.
