Education board approves merger of two Rota schools

After several hours of listening to differing views and despite the lack of a long-term comprehensive plan, the CNMI Board of Education approved yesterday the merger of the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior High School and Rota High School.

The board adopted the decision to merge both schools by a vote of 3-2, with board vice chair Denise Tanya King and board member Galvin Deleon Guerrero voting against it.

The merger—seen to generate savings for the Public School System by maximizing limited resources such as teachers and technologies—will take effect starting this school year.

The Rota High School campus will be shut down, except for the gymnasium, baseball field, and the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. All 7th to 12th graders will be moved to the junior high school campus, which will retain the name Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior and High School.

The merger also approved the transfer of sixth graders from junior high to the Sinapalo Elementary School.

According to Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan, the merger will bring substantial savings to PSS because it will eliminate 13 classroom teacher positions and one principal position.

She said the enrollment decline on the island was also a factor. Many classes in Rota schools have a small number of students, resulting in a student-to-teacher ratio of just 15:1. By merging the two schools, PSS can increase the ratio to the maximum 23:1 for the secondary level.

The merger will not result in layoffs, but will balance the budget, according to PSS, which expects to receive only $28 million this new fiscal year, based on Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s budget submission.

The decision came even as King and Rota Legislative Delegation chair Sen. Juan Ayuyu (Ind-Rota) asked the board to defer its decision and wait until after PSS conducts a long-term comprehensive plan for the merger.

King said it was only three weeks ago when she was told about the plan, with the assurance that it will not take effect until after three years. She said such a major plan requires long-term planning, a feasibility study, thorough consultation with all stakeholders, and that the decision must be data-driven.

“There are too many unanswered questions,” said King. “A merger is not best at this time.”

For example, King said, the Rota delegation and a significant number of community members on Rota were never involved in the discussion. King also criticized the lack of clear cost and impact analysis of the plan.

Deleon Guerrero said there are important projected numbers that are missing in the presentation, including the specific amount that PSS will save in implementing the plan.

Federal programs officer Tim Thornburgh estimated that savings from the merger will reach about $540,000, including savings on utility consumption as a result of shutting down school buildings. From 35 classroom teachers, the merger will bring down the teacher count to 22.

Saipan Tribune learned that the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior and High School will absorb Sharlene Manglona as its principal, while Annette Calvo will act as the school’s vice principal. The two are the current principals of the two schools.

Along with Sinapalo Elementary School principal Vanessa Hocog, Manglona, and Calvo are convinced that the merger will not negatively impact the students. In fact, they said it will help eighth graders transition to high school, which is always a problem in many secondary schools.

According to student representative Mary Hocog, the merger will help rather than harm junior high school students because it will enable them to adapt easily to high school life.

A handful of individuals also expressed support for the merger during yesterday’s public comment section of the meeting. Among them were the officers of the parents and teachers associations in both Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior High and Rota High School. They included Dexter Apatang, Therese Hizon, Marla Barcinas, and Sharon Manglona.

According to Commissioner Sablan, PSS hosted two meetings to inform the Rota community about the plan. These were held on Aug. 11 and 12 where representatives of various offices on Rota were represented.

PSS said the plan was also supported by Rota Mayor Melchor Mendiola and the Municipal Council as well as parents’ groups on the islands.

Tinian Junior and Senior High School principal Julian Hofschneider also expressed support, sharing his school’s success in combining students from 7th to 12th grades.

At present, Rota High School has 182 ninth to 12th graders, while the junior high school has 96 seventh to eighth graders, after transferring the sixth graders to Sinapalo Elementary School.