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Hopwood students thank SNILD for funding school repairs
Student leaders and staff of Hopwood Middle School visited the Legislature yesterday to express gratitude to the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation for allocating $250,000 to Hopwood for the repair and reconstruction of its main campus in Chalan Piao, which sustained catastrophic damage during Super Typhoon Yutu.
Each student was given a chance to tell lawmakers about their experiences at the temporary Hopwood campus beside Koblerville Elementary School. All of them expressed a desire to get out of the temporary tents and get back to their old campus.
Rep. Tina Sablan (Ind-Saipan) said it was moving to hear so many students refer their old campus as “home.”
The $250,000 allocated to Hopwood was the sum total of the many precincts chipping into the pot: Precinct I gave $50,000; Precinct II allocated $150,000; Precincts IV and V each gave $25,000.
Hopwood’s main campus was destroyed by Super Typhoon Yutu last October 2018, and classes were transferred to a temporary tent facility.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres has just enacted House Local Bill 21-28, which becomes Saipan Local Law 21-10. This local law appropriates $3 million from the Casino License Fee to Saipan for various project and programs, which include the repairs of Hopwood Middle School and other schools.
According to Saipan Tribune archives, Hopwood principal Dr. Rizalina Liwag said that Hopwood has been working with Education Commissioner Glenn Muña to kickstart the school’s transition back to its main campus. The Public School System reported that it is expecting about $24 million from the Federal Management Agency for the repair and renovation of the main campus. The project is currently on hold as PSS is still waiting for FEMA’s project worksheet for the campus.
