Hopwood principal Jonas Barcinas said the school is working closely with its Parent-Teacher-Student Association officers regarding this and other proposed projects.
“This is one dream that we would want to have because of the bad weather conditions on Saipan,” he said, referring to the gym.
The gym, he said, will ensure that school programs will be uninterrupted even during bad weather.
Barcinas said he is also pursuing a plan to build pick-up, drop-off and parking areas.
Moreover, he wants to see a state of the art school fence as well as benches and bleachers for students waiting for their rides.
“We plan to build more bleachers in the stage area for ceremonies. We plan to build tables and benches around the pine trees so students can use them during their break and lunch time, so they can also use their laptops to do school work during their spare time,” he told Variety.
Through funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he added, there will be lots of improvement projects on campus.
These include the repair and renovation of the vocational education facility and buildings that are termite-infested.
Also to be fixed are windows and the lighting system.
“The electrical system is super poor and in bad shape,” Barcinas said.
He said they also need to replace some air-conditioning units in several buildings.
The school will likewise extend its walkways to prevent children from getting wet when it rains.
Like other schools, Barcinas said Hopwood will also have a repainting project.
“Painting the school blue and gold will match the school uniform as well. We want gold which is a calm color that will also make the school shine so Hopwood can stand out. This is an opportunity to help make Hopwood a state of the art campus despite its old facilities,” he said.
He said they also plan to repair and renovate restrooms and shower rooms of students.
With the issuance of laptops to students, he said, the school is also planning to install lockers to help secure the laptops.
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