The new school year has begun, and for many Grand Cayman commuters that means the end of a summer vacation away from morning rush-hour traffic.
A major contributor to gridlock, of course, is the daily crunch as thousands of parents attempt to deliver their children to schools that are concentrated in the capital district of George Town.
More than 70% of Grand Cayman's primary and secondary students attend schools located in George Town, according to the Cayman Islands Compendium of Statistics 2020.
The numbers are skewed by private schools -- while just over 50% of public school enrolment is in George Town, about 98% of private school enrolment is in George Town.
Since 2012, the total number of primary and secondary school students has grown by about 9%, to 8,434 students as of September 2020. All of that growth (and more) has been in private schools.
From 2012 to 2020, government school enrolment decreased by 6%. Over the same time period, private school enrolment grew by 35%.
In 2012, about 36% of Cayman's students attended private school. In 2020 that proportion was 45%.
The focus on George Town is even more apparent if you factor in the youngest students attending private Early Childhood Care & Education centres (ECCEs).
As of September 2020, nearly 85% of students in private ECCEs attended school in George Town.