Rota inaugurates federally funded Office of Pupil Transportation facility

The new Rota Office of Pupil Transportation building was inaugurated last Friday, Aug. 23, to a proud public school community that witnessed federal dollars being invested in the island municipality’s infrastructure development through the Public School System.

The new Rota facility is funded through the Public School System’s share of the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. The U.S. Department of Education has approved PSS’ ARP Act Implementation Plan in August 2021, which would cover for four fiscal years.

The new OPT facility is located right next to the campus of Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior Senior High School.

The school district, led by Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho, Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior Senior High School principal Annette A. Calvo, and Sinapalo Elementary School principal Daisy H. Quitugua, along with acting Rota mayor and Municipal Council chair Jim Michael Atalig, joined Rota OPT bus leader Lorenzo “Larry” Hocog and his team in the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Leaders described the event as a “proud moment” for the Rota PSS community.

“To our Rota OPT leaders, Larry Hocog and his team, I congratulate you for this ribbon cutting and opening. It’s on days like this when we celebrate initiatives through the opening or launching of a project or the completion of a project, that we consider critical for student learning and our community’s success as a whole,” Camacho said in his remarks.

Camacho credited the strong partnership between PSS and the Rota leaders and the community, as a whole, including Rota Mayor Aubrey Hocog.

“We feel good because we know that this project could lead to many great things in the years to come as a result of this particular project that we have invested in. The completion of this is a great achievement of our Public School System. It is going to benefit all of our students because the work of our OPTS is very critical to our students’ learning and success, which starts and ends in every bus ride they take from and to school from home.”

He added, “Our children will never forget their time in the bus and the hardworking OPT personnel that continue to take care of them. It’s a great deal for me as your commissioner of education because it reassures me that the support that we have for our students is attributed to initiatives like this.”

Project engineer Jesus Dimaala of J&J Construction, said the newly completed OPT building “represents our dedication and teamwork.”

“This was built and designed to ensure the safety of our students,” Dimaala said.

‘Finally home’

Rota OPT bus leader Lorenzo “Larry” Hocog said this is a milestone for both Rota schools and the community. This is the first time that a permanent facility was built to cater to the bus/transportation personnel and operation for Rota.

“It is my pleasure and an honor… to express gratitude to all those who made this event a reality. I started working as a bus driver 17 years ago, and throughout that time the OPT has been without a designated office for the Rota (operation) and its team to call our home,” Hocog said.

“Today, with the support and collaboration of the PSS management team, we achieved a milestone. (This) ribbon cutting ceremony honors the new Rota OPT. We are finally home,” the Rota bus leader said.

Hocog recognition for the “huge support and commitment” that led to the construction of the new facility to the following: Education Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Camacho, Education associate commissioner for Administrative Services Eric Magofna, Federal Programs Office, OPT director Shawn Nicholas, Facilities Development and Management team, school principals of RHI and Sinapalo Elementary School, Rota Mayor’s Office, and the contractor.”

The new Rota OPT includes an office, staff room, restroom, and storage room, and a garage/shelter area for repair of PSS buses and vans.

Rota OPT has three buses that service close to a hundred passengers, one van that provides service to about 15 passengers, and a special education minibus equipped with two wheelchairs.

RHI principal Annette Calvo said, “I feel very excited and very happy that there is now a permanent facility for them. They have been moving around for many years. As you heard it from our OPT bus leader, Larry Hocog, they can say they’re finally home.”

History

The site of the new Rota OPT facility was the former Rota PSS Liaison Office.

Shortly after the Education Act of 1988 was enacted, which led to the creation of an independent Public School System, the PSS Rota Liaison Office was created, among others, to provide additional support and services to the islands’ public schools.

Then a Rota liaison office was created in 1990, which housed the offices for bus drivers and child nutrition program personnel. It was built next to the former Rota elementary school (the current RHI campus), where the newly inaugurated Office of Pupil Transportation facility is located.

Rota Elementary was offering a Head Start program up to eight grades.

The former Rota. High School, opened in 1983, was located in Songsong and offered grades nine to twelve.

Thirteen years ago, exactly on Aug. 25, 2011, the Board of Education approved the Middle School Consolidated Plan that merged both Rota High School and Rota Junior High School. The merger also renamed the merged schools as Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior Senior High School in honor of the late education chief and Rota’s daughter. (PR)