First School to Open in Northern Samaria Communities Evacuated in Disengagement

Israel's Minister of Education, Yoav Kisch, and the Head of the Shomron Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, announced the establishment of the first regional school in the northern Samaria communities that were evacuated during the 2005 disengagement and have since been resettled. The new school will serve children from the communities of Ganim, Kadim, and Noa, offering classes from first to sixth grade. This marks the first educational framework of its kind in the area since residents returned to the evacuated settlements in 2005.

The decision follows a visit by Kisch and Dagan to the northern Samaria communities over a month prior. Dagan informed the heads of the local committees of Ganim, Kadim, and Noa about the agreement to build the school. The initiative is part of the "Connection Program" led by the Shomron Regional Council in cooperation with government ministries, the Amona movement, and the settlement division.

This program aims to establish 19 new communities in northern Samaria, replacing the four settlements evacuated during the disengagement. It aligns with the council's "Million in Shomron" plan. In the past eight months, 11 new settlements have been founded in the region, including Ivhal, Rechavam, Rom Gilboa, Shalom, Emek Dotan, Noa, and Giv'at Shomron, alongside the resettlement of Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim.

Minister Kisch hailed the decision as a "historic step" in rebuilding the northern Samaria communities, emphasizing that the school will enable children to learn, grow, and build their future there. He praised the cooperation with the Shomron Council and the dedication of the education teams. Dagan stated that this is a historic moment, signifying not just a return to homes but the establishment of an education system and public institutions to ensure a future for the children, predicting that tens of thousands will eventually live in northern Samaria.