BOE: Govt to lease—not buy—land for new middle school

The private land identified for the new middle school in Koblerville could only be used for a limited time as it is only being leased by the government, according to Board of Education member Herman T. Guerrero yesterday.

This is contrary to the belief of many that the lot was purchased outright by the government for the Public School System.

During a board meeting yesterday, Guerrero expressed worry of the “uncertainties” the status of the land could bring to the system in the long run.

“What will happen if the lease term ends? How about our school? What if time comes and somebody tells us to move out [because that’s the end of the lease term]? These are questions and issues that we need to seriously look at right now because the sooner we address them, the better for us than wait for years [to act],” Guerrero said.

He insisted that PSS must get a clearer picture from the administration about the property.

PSS wants to build the Koblerville Junior High School beside the Saipan Southern High School and the Koblerville Elementary School campuses. The Fitial administration had tapped a federal community development block grant through the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. to “acquire” the land.

Citing the increasing value of lands, Guerrero believes the government may not be able to afford buying the property when the time comes.

According to Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan, there are ongoing talks between PSS and the Office of the Governor concerning the status of the land. “Hopefully when we come back, we have the specific answers [from them],” she told Saipan Tribune.

According to prior reports, the housing corporation purchased the lot in Koblerville in July last year for the proposed middle school. Some 600 students from Hopwood Jr. High School will be transferred to the new school once it is completed.

The housing corporation earlier committed to allot three years of its CDBG grants for the new middle school, which is estimated to cost over $2 million.

Sablan reported to the board that for the architectural and engineering design of the building, the governor has proposed to use the same CDBG block grant monies in the completion of the project’s A&E. The PSS-CIP office, according to the commissioner, is now working with the housing corporation in doing these preliminary works.

PSS, under its proposal, wants to construct 10 buildings: four classroom buildings with 27 classrooms, a cafeteria, a library, a vocational building, a horticulture building, a music building, and a water storage tank. The entire facility is estimated to house up to 700 students.

Sablan said she requested the administration to consider tapping CIP monies for the actual construction of the school buildings.