By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
TWO months after Super Typhoon Sinlaku forced an early end to the school year, students across Saipan and Tinian walked back into classrooms Monday.
While the Public School System serves more than 9,000 public elementary, middle, and high school students across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, about 10% of the student population — roughly 1,500 students as of Monday — enrolled in the summer program, which provides credit recovery and helps ease the transition into the new school year.
That enrollment figure, which continued to rise through the afternoon, is among the largest in PSS history, according to the office of Acting Commissioner of Education Jacqueline P. Che in a media release.
Schools are not yet fully repaired. Some are still without power, and others are undergoing mold remediation. None of that kept students away.
“It is a good sign that our students are back in our classrooms to learn,” said Che, who toured campuses as the program opened Monday.
“The super typhoon may have cut short their learning time. We’re back now,” she added.
Buses from the PSS Office of Pupil Transportation arrived before the 8 a.m. start of half-day sessions, which will run for about a month. The PSS Child Nutrition Program was on site at each campus, working alongside food caterers and vendors to provide free meals.
Che praised school administrators, teachers, and staff for committing to the opening date despite their own challenges as typhoon survivors.
CUC delivers on its promise
In the week before summer school opened, Che met with Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Executive Director Kevin Watson and received a commitment that CUC would move aggressively to restore power to PSS campuses before and during the summer program.
CUC followed through.
Marianas High School, the largest school in the CNMI, was fully energized Monday, with power restored to 100%. Its summer program opens Tuesday.
“The meeting between our acting commissioner and CUC really bore fruit,” said a teacher in a brief interview with Variety.
“CUC came and restored power to our school,” the teacher added.
Tinian Elementary School was partially powered, with classes merged to accommodate the summer enrollment.
During her tour, Che told students at campuses still awaiting full power that CUC had given its word.
“Try to hang in this week,” she said. “CUC will try to restore power to all schools this week.”
These include GTC Elementary School and Tanapag Middle School.
At GTC, Sinlaku destroyed seven campus buildings. Twelve classrooms were opened Monday with 140 students enrolled. Only Building D had electricity.
Before the first bell, maintenance worker June Concepcion ran extension cords from Building D to Building F so fans could operate in classrooms without power.
Che ordered additional extension lines and authorized the transfer of a PSS generator — which had only been energized over the weekend — to the campus.
Yolanda Dela Cruz taught her class in an air-conditioned room in Building D. In Building F, a Title I teacher opened the day with six students in a combined first- and second-grade class, using fans but no air conditioning.
Tanapag Elementary School opened six classrooms on generator power. Hopwood Middle School, still without power, opened 11 classrooms with 100 students by Monday morning.
San Vicente’s biggest summer yet
San Vicente Elementary School recorded its largest summer enrollment on record. Of its 218 students, 191 are attending on campus while 27 are enrolled at Dandan Middle School under the Extended School Year program, a split driven by enrollment volume and post-typhoon capacity limits.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
