The name of the new school in Sa Pobla is at stake: should Guillem Caldés's condition be met and the school named after his wife?

PalmThe recent laying of the foundation stone for the new primary school (CEIP) in Sa Pobla has reignited a long-standing debate: should the school be named after Maria Margalida Socias, the late wife of agricultural businessman Guillem Caldés? The controversy is not merely symbolic. According to several sources, he conditioned the donation of his property where the school will be built on it bearing his wife's name, a person with no connection to the world of education. Sources very close to the Town Hall explain that the public tender held during the 2015-2019 term received few bids, but only Caldés's strictly met the financial requirements. Despite being within price, Caldés's offer presented some controversial elements: the main plot lacked street access, and to make it viable, a portion of a rural property that did not belong to him was annexed through an agreement with the owner, a friend of his.

Caldés denies this information provided by people closely linked to the municipal administration. According to him, the town council needed a plot of land, and he was "deeply affected" by his wife's death. "I asked my mother and my children if they thought it would be alright to donate the land, and at the same time, preserve Margalida's memory by naming the school after her. She worked outside the town from a young age and knew the basics. She was a very beloved person in the village," he maintains. He adds that he didn't charge anything for the land and that "it does have access." "The Town Hall asked me if we could also add a parking lot to serve the new school and the Can Peu Blanc Secondary School. That's when a new piece of land from a friend was added, for which 90,000 euros were paid. But I didn't charge anything for my piece. It was a donation," he explains.

Regarding the services available on the plot, he claims it is fully equipped and that "they haven't had to go looking for water or anything, because it has them. They asked me for an extra meter, and I gave it to them," he says, visibly annoyed. "All those who are against putting Margalida's name on it and who say I've been paid are just envious," he concludes.

Since the failure of the Cooperative

To understand the unease that Caldés's figure generates in some sectors, it is necessary to go back to the past of the Poblense Agricultural Cooperative (CAP), of which she was a member of the board of directors. The CAP experienced a profound crisis that culminated in its suspension of payments on October 3, 1989, an event that severely affected many farming members, who lost their savings in the Caja Rural (Rural Savings Bank), and that marked the economic and social life of the town. During its heyday, the cooperative made ambitious investments, opened international markets, built infrastructure, and mechanized farming, but it also accumulated debt and suffered from mismanagement in the credit department. Finally, the entity collapsed; despite receiving a guarantee from the regional government, it ceased operations and was liquidated. This past still weighs heavily on the collective memory of Sa Pobla.

At the time the land was transferred, the pressure to move forward with the educational project was intense. The municipality had been waiting for a new school for over ten years, and many families feared that if Caldés withdrew the offer, the project would stall once again. This urgency led the political parties, pressured by the families, to accept the deal despite legal and ethical concerns. The municipal secretary warned that conditions regarding the school's name could not be included in a public tender, but the businessman's political and economic influence swayed the debate, according to city hall sources and residents consulted. "He knows how to pull strings, he always has, and he knows where the devil hangs," the same sources confided.

In the hands of the School Council

Now that construction is underway, the land no longer belongs to Caldès, and the new families are less connected to that episode, the debate over the name has resurfaced. Part of the school community argues that the school should be named after a prominent figure in the municipality's educational, cultural, or social sphere; others believe it's necessary to honor the commitment made at the time. The final decision rests with the School Council of the future center, not the City Council or the Regional Ministry of Education. It is the body with the authority, although it is not immune to potential external interference. ARA Baleares attempted to contact the management team of CEIP Nou de Sa Pobla, a school currently surviving thanks to modular classrooms and which will be moving to the new facilities. They declined to comment: "We will not make any statement on the matter, nor will we open any controversy around this issue."

Caldés, however, expresses his anger at the possibility of changing the school's name: "If they decide to change the name, it will be a bitter pill to swallow, because Margalida was as much a part of Sa Pobla as anyone. It's unfair that her name is being used now. I donated a plot of land that is now worth more than a million euros on this condition, which was approved by the full council." With the first stone laid and the project underway, the debate continues. For some, keeping the name would be a gesture of recognition towards Caldés; for others, it would validate a controversial episode from the past. Sa Pobla is once again confronting its cooperative history while deciding what to call the future primary school. Meanwhile, among the alternative names circulating are those of Alexandre Ballester, playwright, storyteller, screenwriter, and municipal chronicler, and the artist Ferran Pizà.