MONROVIA-While schools across Liberia remain in session, about 500 girls at More Than Me Academy have been out of school for nine days following a court-ordered eviction from the school’s property on Ashmun Street in Monrovia.
The eviction was carried out on September 22, 2026, following a court ruling in favor of the Montgomery family in a long-running property dispute involving the Republic of Liberia and the property occupied by the school.
Since the eviction, the school administration has held two meetings with parents on Front Street to update them on the situation and efforts to resolve the matter. At the first meeting, parents were asked to give the government more time to engage the parties involved.
However, during a second meeting on September 30, parents expressed frustration over the lack of a clear resolution. Some parents warned that they could take their concerns to the streets if the situation remains unresolved.
The school’s Executive Director,Mrs.Sylvestine Payne-Gbessagee, has appealed to parents to remain patient as the government continues discussions and negotiations aimed at finding a solution.
The property arrangement involving More Than Me dates back to August 9, 2012, during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of Liberia, through the Office of the Montserrado County Superintendent, and More Than Me for the use of the property for educational purposes.
Former Montserrado County Superintendent Grace T. Kpaan has said she signed the agreement on the directive of President Sirleaf.
More Than Me authorities say the school later occupied the property under a 99-year lease arrangement through the Government of Liberia, with the premises designated for educational purposes. The school also says it invested hundreds of thousands of United States dollars to rehabilitate the property and transform it into an educational facility serving girls from vulnerable and underprivileged communities.
The dispute eventually led to a court ruling in favor of the Montgomery family and the subsequent eviction of the school.
The development has left hundreds of students without access to their regular classrooms as the legal and property issues remain unresolved.
With schools across Liberia currently in session, parents and the school community are calling for an urgent resolution that would allow the affected girls to return to school.