Govt wants to buy private land for middle school in Koblerville

The Fitial administration wants to purchase a private lot to build a new middle school in Koblerville and will tap federal monies from the Community Development Block Grant administered by the Northern Marianas Housing Corp.

Board of Education member Lucy Blanco-Maratita and acting press secretary Teresa Kim separately confirmed that initial studies are being prepared to make it happen.

“Yes, basically the NMHC has CDBG funds available to purchase private land. Considering that the Public School System has expressed the need to build a junior high school, the governor is working with NMHC to acquire some private property in Koblerville near the Saipan Southern High School and Koblerville Elementary School,” Kim told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

She said the target area is an ideal site to build a junior high school as it fills the gap for a complete primary and secondary school while allowing the new middle school to possibly share resources and facilities with the high school.

Blanco-Maratita, who chairs the Education Board’s capital improvement projects committee, disclosed that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and PSS officials recently met to discuss the matter.

After the meeting, PSS sought more information from the housing corporation. A separate meeting with agencies like the Department of Public Works and Division of Fish and Wildlife is also being planned by PSS officials.

Blanco-Maratita said that NMHC has already responded, asking for details of the proposed project such as the size of the building to be built, number of target enrollment, and a description of the new facilities.

PSS and the board earlier estimated that they need $6 million to build the Koblerville Junior High School.

PSS plans to relocate 600 students and their teachers from Hopwood Junior High School to the new school once it is built. Hopwood is home to over 1,300 enrollees.

PSS expects the new school to be largely energy self-sufficient based upon the $4 million alternative energy investment that was installed at Saipan Southern High School early this year.

The following are the breakdown of the needed funding for new middle school: architectural and engineering design, $250,000; site work, $442,460; concrete work, $225,460; masonry, 162,110; metals, 923,260; wood and plastics, $115,330; thermal and moisture protection, $9,200; doors and windows, $752,560; finishes, $647,360; specialties, $26,476; conveying systems, $113,880; mechanical, $573,634; electrical, $508,270; green energy, $750,000; and collateral equipment, $500,000.