Enough classrooms for public schools
The Public School System expects to meet the demands of its projected student population growth in the next four to six years with over a hundred new and under construction classroom facilities for Saipan schools alone.
This was disclosed by Capital Improvement Projects Committee Chair Anthony Pellegrino who also said that plans to erect seven additional classrooms for Gregorio T. Camacho and Dandan Elementary schools this year are being worked out.
“I think we’ll have enough for the coming years,” said Mr. Pellegrino.
Some 60 classrooms were put in place by PSS last year and construction of six new classrooms on Tinian and a few on Rota has started, he added.
Recent studies conducted for the school system revealed that there are 32 classrooms on Saipan which need to be demolished. The study, which attempts to gauge the economic outlook of CNMI’s educational system including its infrastructures, further said that in order for PSS to meet the projected student growth through the year
2003, elementary schools need 41 additional classrooms.
But Mr. Pellegrino said PSS does not intend to demolish classrooms, however old they may be.
“There are very old classrooms, 20 to 30 years old, but many schools use them only as storerooms, so why tear them down?,” he said.
He continued that PSS has its CIP funds already allocated to certain projects and will not be reprogrammed for any other undertaking.
The same study further noted that Marianas High School and Hopwood Junior High School need 10 additional classrooms each to accommodate the projected increase in enrollment.
Schools on Tinian are generally operating above the acceptable level of service standard, according to the economic study. However, it is indicated that 15 Tinian elementary school classrooms need to be demolished.
The recently completed Tinian High School has nine more classrooms than it presently needs. In addition, schools on Rota are generally operating above the acceptable level of service standard.
Also magnified in the study is that Rota’s elementary/junior high school has 12 more classrooms than it presently needs.
Despite this, it has been recommended that two classrooms be demolished although its high school has some eight more classrooms than its present school age population requires.
