PSS to look for more federal grants for new middle school

Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan said yesterday that the Public School System will closely work with the Executive Branch and the office of Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan to secure needed funding for the planned Koblerville Junior High School.

This comes after the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. board said that it cannot source the $8 million needed for the project from its community development block grant. Each fiscal year, NMHC receives about $800,000 in CDBG funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The housing corporation earlier committed to allot three years of these CDBG grants for the new middle school-the total would reach only over $2 million.

Commissioner Sablan said yesterday that PSS will do its best to make the project a reality for Commonwealth students.

“We’re very hopeful that it’s going to materialize. It’s a vision of the Board of Education and both the Executive Branch and Congressman Kilili are supportive of this great venture. So we’re going to work with them to secure the needed funding. A new middle school is very much needed in the Commonwealth, especially on Saipan,” she said, but cannot say what federal monies may be tapped for the project.

Commissioner Sablan, along with education and board officials, yesterday showed acting governor Eloy Inos and Delegate Sablan the property acquired by the government for the project. The property is situated at the back of Koblerville Elementary School.

PSS reportedly wants to construct 10 buildings on the lot: four classroom buildings with 27 classrooms, a cafeteria, a library, a vocational building, a horticulture building, a music building, and a water storage tank.

“As far as building the facility, we want to make sure that we’re not only developing a standard classroom but we want it appropriate in terms of preparing students for 21st century learning skills,” according to the commissioner.

PSS earlier said that its operational expense will not increase because the teachers and school support will move with the students from Hopwood to Koblerville Junior High School. The new middle school will also be largely energy self-sufficient based upon the $4-million alternative energy investment that was installed at Saipan Southern High School.