Schools to be assessed before reopening

All private and public schools in the CNMI will need to be inspected, assessed, and receive approval before being allowed to reopen, according to an Office of the Governor statement last Thursday.

It said that CNMI schools are allowed to safely reopen subject to approval of reopening plans and assessment of facilities. This was the result of talks among the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., and education stakeholders from the Northern Marianas College, Public School System, and the Commonwealth Coalition of Private Schools.

“Due to the continued success of the CNMI’s COVID-19 preventative measures at the borders, as well as the cooperation of our community in adhering to guidance from our health officials, the CNMI remains safe from the spread of COVID-19. Health and safety protocols have been discussed by the COVID-19 Task Force with the Commonwealth Coalition of Private Schools, PSS, NMC, and CHCC, to safely reopen schools and permit in-person instruction,” said the statement.

So far, some schools have already undergone assessment and have been cleared to reopen, including the Saipan Community School, which resumed face-to-face classes last week.

Also resuming face-to-face classes is Saipan International School, which has been cleared by the task force to resume physical classes today.

Mount Carmel School, which was supposed to resume face-to-face classes on Aug. 6, has opted to resume classes online on Aug. 17 as they wait for their shipment of safety supplies.

The Public School System is also set to resume remote learning on Sept. 8.

The COVID-19 Task Force, Department of Public Works Building Code officials, and CHCC will review reopening plans of schools, as well as conduct site assessments to ensure compliance with social distancing requirements based on classroom square footage and reopening guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres added that Directive 15 of the CNMI COVID-19 Emergency Directives will be rescinded to ensure full implementation of reopening schools as part of the CNMI’s ongoing economic and educational reopening plans.

“Based on our discussions with our educational leaders from NMC, PSS, and our private school coalition, the CNMI is in a better position to safely reopen schools through compliance with social distancing and safeguarding our students, teachers, parents, and school staff,” said Torres. We have been successful in keeping COVID-19 away from our community by identifying cases at the border. Reopening education and our overall economy will help bring a sense of normalcy, ensure continued learning for our students, and assist our teachers and staff with their salaries and income. We also understand that our parents and teachers must feel safe and secure, which is why we want school reopening plans to be approved first…so that we can successfully do this together,” Torres said.

With clearance from the task force, schools will be allowed to implement an in-person instructional model, an online model, or a hybrid of both.