GES expects its enrollment numbers to go down

Garapan Elementary School expects the number of its students to go down because of the likely exodus of foreign workers who will bring their children with them when they go home to their countries of origin starting November 2011, according to principal Paulette Sablan.

As of yesterday, GES has 845 students from kindergarten to sixth grade—almost the same level as last school year’s. Based, however, on the school’s random conversations with parents, a large number of students may leave after November when their parents go back to their home countries.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rules state that foreign nationals who are unemployed after Nov. 28, 2011, may face deportation pursuant to the new immigration policy governing foreign workers.

If this happens, Sablan said that about 50 GES students will be leaving the CNMI to be with their parents.

GES, she said, is preparing for this scenario and is now conducting counseling and guidance for affected students.

Sablan said children of foreign nationals are worried about their parents’ situations and this might affect their studies and well-being.

A handful of parents have also notified the school about their intention to leave with their children if the situation worsens.

“We’re still hoping it won’t happen…but we’re preparing ourselves. What we’re doing now is we’re guiding the affected kids and assisting them through counseling,” she said yesterday.

Meantime, the school is excited with the construction of a five-classroom building that is expected to be completed within the school year.

Sablan said the contractor has already been given the go-signal to proceed and it is now busy setting up the perimeters for the project.

GES’ kindergarten students are currently having classes in vacant MIHA homes located at the back of the school—a setup that has been criticized because of security concerns.

Saipan Tribune learned that the five new classrooms and two restrooms will be built on the second story of an existing building on campus.

Once completed, upper graders occupying the first floor classrooms would be transferred to the newly built rooms and their vacated rooms will be taken over by kindergarten students.

Sablan said they will also re-map the buildings to provide bigger classrooms for reading resource and bilingual classes.

The project’s estimated cost is $800,000, which will be funded by appropriation from the Legislature and the interest from the $15-million general obligation bond issued in 1998.

The new classrooms are expected to be operational next school year.

The project has been on the table for more than two years but was delayed due to the lack of funds.