History

Zitanga Elementary School with school ID of 102552 is the gateway to Ballesteros proper, with the school personalized greeting “Naisem A Zitanga! -means to welcome the people entering to the town proper. It has a distance of more or less, eight (8) kilometers from Zitanga junction to the heart of Ballesteros and belongs to the Second Congressional District 02 of Cagayan. The school lot was acquired through the leadership of the late Tiniente del Barrio Antonio Unciano who donated the lot measuring 8820 sq.m. The school is located on the hilly roadside where you can see the beautiful rice fields and mountains aside.

To the west and south are the hills where G-melina and Narra trees are abound. Bananas and citrus trees are planted too, to make up the verdant green of its surroundings.

It was in 1938 when the school was founded and occupied by primary pupils, housing Grades I & II and later III and IV, respectively, and the buildings were only made of wood and cogon as the roofing until such time that the school turn into a complete elementary school when enrolment yearly increased and as development is on-going, the school buildings are now made concrete.

The school has three academic buildings with three classrooms each of the two buildings and the other one with two classrooms. A separate office building was built with the help of the former Governor of Cagayan Hon. Edgar R. Lara. And a mini-gymnasium was constructed through the initiative of the PTA and Brgy. Council with the help of the former Congressman of CD02 Hon. Florencio L. Vargas. And a new PTCA project multi-purpose building is used for kindergarten classroom.

As of June 2014, the school has a total enrolment of two hundred seventy three (273). There are seven regular permanent classroom teachers and one KVT headed by a Principal I.

School improvements are done through the initiative of the Teaching Staff, Brgy. Council and PTA by having an Annual Fund Raising Festivals (Nutri-Fest and Children’s Fest). The proceeds are used for school improvements as agreed upon by the sponsors in concurrence by the school administration. MOOE fund, financial assistance from barangay, municipal and provincial are also other sources of school improvements.