San Vicente project will push through—BOE

Education board members yesterday disclosed that San Vicente Elementary School will push through as scheduled the rehabilitation of its Kindergarten classroom after the school successfully acquired a $51,620 appropriation from the Legislature. The money is provided in Public Law 16-12, which sourced the money from the developer’s tax appropriations fund balance.

Last week, the board approved the reprogramming of $120,000 from the SVES project to the Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School so it could renovate its dilapidated classrooms.

With a promised reimbursement by June from the governor, board vice chair Herman T. Guerrero said yesterday that if reimbursement does happen, the money will be given back to the $1.2 million fund for all schools’ immediate repairs.

“Papers and permits are being prepared and reviewed by the Department of Public Works…and anytime this month, rehabilitation of the Kindergarten classroom will begin. The money will come from the appropriation from the Legislature and so we don’t have a problem pursuing that project,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Guerrero said the reimbursement of the GTC funds may still go to San Vicente if there’s an immediate need to address other needs like termite eradication and electrical upgrade.

“We need to put back the money so we can address other schools’ immediate concerns. If there’s a great need to solve some problems at SVES, we can still provide the reimbursement to them,” the vice chair said.

PSS and the board had requested the governor last year to reprogram some $8.2 million CIP money for school renovations and repairs. However, only $1.2 million was approved by the island’s chief executive.

According to CIP board committee chair Marylou S. Ada, the $1.2 million reprogrammed funds are intended for schools’ priority list.

She admitted having a long list of “concerns” from schools that simultaneously need to be worked out by the system. She said the approved fund is not enough for all schools’ needs.

In San Vicente, two Kindergarten classrooms will be demolished. Made of wooden materials, the buildings are about 20 years old.

Saipan Tribune learned that the San Vicente PTA conducted various school fundraisers to construct the first Kindergarten classrooms.

The old Kindergarten facilities were supposed to be temporary structures. However, due to overcrowding on campus, also a result of the lack of funding, the school was forced to keep using the buildings.

The board members yesterday indicated that it’s the target of the school to build the new facility before the opening of the next school year in September.