MHS sees increase in student population

Marianas High School expects its enrollment number to increase to 1,508, which according to Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan is the highest its been since her tenure in the Public School System.

To date, Saipan Southern High School has 807 enrolled, while Kagman High School has 655 enrolled, according to school readiness report for school year 2014-2015.

Both Sablan and Board of Education chair Herman Guerrero said it is still too early to say if there has been an increase in population as school has not started yet and enrollment is still ongoing.

Guerrero, however, believes there has been a shift in people, especially workers, who have lived in Kagman or the more remote places of the island that are now situated in the more populated places for employment reasons.

“They relocate to the front side of the island and as result increase the population of Marianas High School,” he said.

According to him, the numbers for MHS have been previously around 1,300 or 1,400.

“You cannot predict these things. A lot of people over the years start moving to the front-side of the island because jobs are there [or] family,” he said.

He said it poses challenges for MHS as it will affect the teacher-student ratio at the school.

Both the commissioner and board chairman acknowledged that there are still vacancies in positions within PSS as the year approaches.

However, Sablan said PSS is “rigorously working” to have these vacancies filled by the school year.

The commissioner declined to disclose numbers, saying they were tentative and that there would be data better indicative of where PSS is at during the next BOE meeting on Aug. 26.

Guerrero said if vacancies in teacher positions were not filled, PSS would have to tap into its pool of substitute teachers.

“We certainly would prefer full-time teachers than substitute teachers,” he said.

PSS, meanwhile, is launching a campaign to get public support for House Legislative 18-12—in November’s ballots—to amend the CNMI Constitution to increase PSS’ share of the annual government budget from 15 percent to 25 percent.

Both Sablan and Guerrero said that based on the people they’ve talked to, no one has said “no” to the initiative, as responses have been positive.

Sablan said a campaign drive ranging from stickers, brochures, television ads, forums, PTA and youth meetings will be pushed as they try to educate the public about the education needs of children in the CNMI.