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PSS to study feasibility of La Fiesta high school
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Posted on Apr 30 2005
The decision of the Board of Education to approve the Office of the Governor’s proposal to use a portion of the La Fiesta Mall as a new junior and senior high school in the CNMI is stalled for the moment.
The board voted last week during a special meeting at the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning Center at the Marianas High School that they will need three months to study and look at the feasibility of establishing a new school on Saipan.
In line with this, the board instructed Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos to spearhead the feasibility study. Inos said she would assign appropriate staff to assist her on this matter as soon as possible.
The board also asked the Public School System legal counsel to obtain a copy of the proposed lease documents from the Governor’s Office. Legal counsel Heather Kennedy said she and fellow lawyer Karen Klaver would immediately speak with governor’s special adviser Robert Schwalbach and review the proposed lease to help in the study.
Schwalbach presented the governor’s proposal of transforming a portion of the mall into a high school during a special board meeting of BOE two week ago. He reportedly said the governor’s office would shoulder the expenses for the renovation and furnishing of the new school.
Earlier reports said the new school is scheduled to be operational in January 2006.
BOE vice chair Dino Jones said during the board meeting that they must immediately act on the proposal as the opportunity might slip through their fingers if the board does not act on this matter at once.
Teacher representative Scott Norman said the board understands the need for the new school—to alleviate the overcrowding problem at the Kagman High School and Chacha Junior High School—but he also said the board must be cautious in their decision.
“We need to be careful,” he said.
Earlier reports said PSS will be using the mall at zero cost for a 19-year lease. The new school, however, would need funding for the teachers and other operational costs. The new school would require an estimated $1.9 million for the additional staff.
