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Hopwood campus is ‘temporary’
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Posted on Feb 22 2019
The temporary Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood Middle School campus in Koblerville is just that—temporary—and still lacks some vital infrastructure, according to Education Commissioner Glenn Muña.
That lack includes Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps and railways for students, among others, he said in an interview last Tuesday.
The temporary Hopwood campus is located across the Koblerville Elementary School.
According to Muña, the temporary campus also lacks a proper bell system and some tables and chairs, but all of the shortcomings of the temporary campus are being addressed.
“We are waiting for the bell system. It’s going to be here in about a week or two,” he said.
Right now, the campus is using an alternative bell system to notify the students and teachers of their next class. He said there is also another bell system that is reserved for emergency situations.
Muña further noted that he also has some chairs and tables that are now en route to Saipan, but he did not specify when they are expected to arrive.
Muña noted Tuesday morning that there are also ADA-compliant railways and ramps on the way. The campus currently has makeshift ramps for ADA compliance made out of wood, and only a few of the tents have it.
The campus also does not have a cafeteria. However, Muña noted that the vendors have agreed to adjust and provide meals that are delivered to classrooms directly to the students.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took the lead on this project to allow us to repair the other schools that were damaged,” he said during his remarks prior to the ribbon cutting for the temporary campus.
Before that, Hopwood students were making do by sharing with the campus of Marianas High School. They’d have classes in the morning; MHS had its classes in the afternoon.
