The start of the school year at a brand new school: "After years of heat, we have air conditioning."

PalmAt eight o'clock this Wednesday morning, the first families began arriving at the new CEIP Tramuntana, the first school opened in Palma since 2005. "Where should we enter?" many asked. The question makes sense. The school has several entrances, unlike the old CEIP Felip Bauçà—where most of the children come from—which only had one. Like someone waiting for a gift, when the doors opened at 8:30 a.m., everyone entered the grounds energetically, but walking and in an orderly manner. The Tramuntana playground is large, open, with trees (some already dead), and families can accompany the students—at Felip Bauçà, this wasn't possible because the playground was inside the school's block. The school is brand new, air-conditioned, has three lines, and is energy-efficient—there are some damp problems. Felip Bauçà was a school with tradition and personality, which brought dozens of generations forward. But she was 50 years old.

"The change is great, because they have good bathrooms here and the classrooms are connected to each other so you can walk around," says Alberto, who has a doll that's starting first grade this year. "I was looking forward to seeing the school and her friends," she summarizes. Next to her, a boy with a small table in his hand was asking his mother if he could use it at school. When she told him no, due to the restrictions imposed by the Regional Ministry, he regretted it. "Ohhh," he exclaimed. "He wants to go back to school, but I also want him to," his mother replied, laughing.

Once inside the school, the students were organized by grade level, as from now on each grade will enter through a different door. This new feature was announced over the PA system, which will allow for more organized access. "There's no comparison; from the moment you walk in, you breathe a different atmosphere that makes it easier to work," explained Principal Laura Hernández, who was previously the head of studies at the Felip Bauçà Primary School. "After years of suffering from the heat, we now have air conditioning," she emphasized.

More lines and more teachers

Tramuntana is a three-tiered school with 675 places, but it's starting out at half capacity. It has 435 students (64%), compared to the 330 at Felip Bauçà. The director explains that, as a priority care center, it has uneven ratios. "We have 20 students per classroom in Preschool and 22 in Primary." Unlike other schools in the Balearic Islands, which have noticed a drop in enrollment in the fourth year of Preschool (age 3), the groups are "maxed out," a situation that is repeated in fifth and sixth years of Primary. "We were surprised by the idea that all the groups will fill up until they reach maximum capacity," explains Hernández.

More children mean more teachers. The teaching staff at Felip Bauçà has mostly moved to Tramuntana, but more staff are needed. The number has increased from 34 to 53, but the number will grow even further. "Half of the positions we needed have been eliminated through the temporary staffing process, and the rest will be eliminated next year," Hernández commented. With the transfer of the school, the Tramuntana faculty hopes to achieve staff stability, because in three years, half of the old school was replaced due to retirements. "Stability is key to implementing an educational project that, in our case, is a continuation of what we had at Felipe," he explained.

Like Felip Bauça, Tramuntana is a vulnerable center with a wide diversity of nationalities, but there has also been a pull effect. "We've had more native and Catalan-speaking families come to us," noted the director, who aspires to have an involved Family Association (AFA). "At Felipe, there were only three mothers who were pulling the strings, but at the start-of-year meetings this year, there have been many families interested in joining, and that will help us organize more activities," explains Hernández.

Families in favor of limiting screens

One of the new features this year is the ban on digital screens until third grade, and their gradual introduction starting in fourth grade. "I think they're good about limiting screens, because my niece is five years old, starting first grade, and she's too connected," explains Mònica. "You have to get used to holding a book, doing more creative and hands-on activities," she adds. The parents we interviewed share this view. Denís is accompanying his daughter, who is starting second grade. They have just arrived from Argentina. For them, it's a new school, a new island, a new country, and, ultimately, a new life. He was a high school teacher in Argentina and considers it essential to limit screens and ban cell phones. "In my country, they're allowed, and the students ignore you," he says.

The fact that screens are only allowed one hour a week in fourth grade opens the door to curious and amusing situations. Any teacher may need to project something on the screen. That's why the available time is divided among the teachers who need it. "For example, ten minutes for English, five for Math..." says the principal, who believes that education has become overused with devices. At Tramuntana, the boards are oriented toward dry erase boards, while the digital ones are behind the students. This is no coincidence. The school has created an Aesthetics Committee to ensure respect, order, and the layout of the spaces. "No one may hang or rearrange anything without asking permission."

September 10, 2025, will remain etched in the memories of the students and teachers who inaugurated the new school. Every step they took through the hallways and across the playground was a new territory conquered for the first time. After 20 years, Palma opens a new primary school in one of the city's densest neighborhoods with the greatest growth prospects. Just across the Tramuntana, nine and without the full classes, is the IES Joan Maria Thomàs, an old and overcrowded school with shacks, which is a more accurate reflection of what most schools in the Balearic Islands are like.