Garapan Elementary School’s kindergarten classes have been conducting sessions outside the campus for many years now.
Principal Yvonne Reyes said it’s one of their goals to see all their students in a conducive environment for learning.
Since the 1990s, classes have been held for 60 GES students at the nearby MIHA housing units.
The units were supposed to be temporary classrooms for GES.
Last school year, GES had 875 students and the school expects to have the same figure or a slightly higher number when classes open in September.
Reyes said they are concerned about the safety of their “outside” students.
A bill was introduced in the 15th Legislature to appropriate $700,000 for the construction of two GES classrooms for kindergarten classes, but it was never passed.
Reyes is hoping that lawmakers will act on the bill this year.
In 2006, GES did not have enough classrooms for all its students.
This year, the school has two new buildings for first graders and many of its classroom desks and chairs have been repaired.
GES gets $30,000 to $40,000 in operational budget every year.
Although this is not enough to address its students’ needs, Reyes said they have learned to live within their means.
This year, the school will have 42 classrooms and 42 certified teachers of whom 70 percent are considered highly qualified.
GES also expects to fill a vacant teaching position.
Reyes wants to maintain its 15:1 student to teacher ratio for kindergarten and 20:1 ratio for first to third grade levels.
But there will still be overcrowding in some classrooms due to lack of teachers.
Last year, the principal said overcrowding was noted in fourth grade classes.
“We may still have classes with 28 students per teacher (this school year),” she said.
GES was among the primary public schools that recorded the highest SAT-10 results in school year 2007-2008.
