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02/14/25 - Seven years after the campus was devastated by Supertyphoon Yutu, Hopwood Middle School unveiled its modular classrooms in a prefabricated structure that will temporarily house students until the new campus is rebuilt.
CNMI Public School System Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence Camacho said in his welcoming remarks, “After the disaster…there was this momentum and movement to ensure that we continue to provide the quality learning space…so that the students thrive in this learning space. That is our responsibility.”
The campus is home to nearly 600 students and around 70 staff.
Before Friday morning’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, some rooms were hosting two classes at the same time. After the natural disaster in 2018, students shared the Marianas High School facility, had classes in tents in Koblerville, conducted online remote learning during the COVID pandemic, and had in-person double sessions.
CJ Innovation was awarded the $4.1M contract, which they completed in 7 months. They are the same contractor who will rebuild the main campus, which is expected to take 18 months after approval of the funding source by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
CNMI Gov. Arnold Palacios said the project has been a long journey. "Today is a beautiful day. We have to be proud of ourselves for picking ourselves up and getting a simple project like temporary classrooms done,” Palacios said. “It looks to me like they are going to be around for the next 10 to 15 years, maybe longer…It is a beautiful-looking space for our students. That is what it is all about.”
Contracting Officer Patrick Guerrero said he hopes to be cutting another ribbon in the coming years for the permanent campus. He said it will feature 38 new classrooms, a new library, and new administrative spaces. Guerrero added, “Disaster recovery is never easy. It is not an overnight process.”
HMS Principal Victorino Borja gave a passionate speech at the end of the ceremony. He said, “While we look forward to replacing our damaged buildings with new, modern, state-of-the-art typhoon-resistant facilities, we understand that it will take several more years, hopefully not too long.”
He said that the modular classrooms are crucial to creating a sense of normalcy, decreasing the number of students per classroom, and improving overall student learning.
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Story by Thomas Manglona II
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