SAIPAN — Public School System Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Camacho outlined a series of upcoming events and ongoing construction projects across CNMI schools during a Tuesday morning appearance on Good Morning Marianas.
Camacho said PSS is preparing for a spring parent summit on April 11 at Crowne Resort, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The event, hosted by the Parent Advisory Council, is expected to draw about 150 parents and will focus on community engagement in education.
“Engaging parents and education in our education system is really a top priority,” Camacho said.
Later in April, the CNMI will host the inaugural Micronesian Regional Education Summit, with a reception on April 19 and the main conference running April 20 through 22 at the World Resort. Camacho said organizers are expecting between 200 and 300 attendees from jurisdictions across Micronesia.
A Chamorro-Carolinian Language Heritage Study competition is also scheduled for May 2 at Hopwood Middle School, bringing together student teams from schools across Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
On the construction front, Camacho said eight schools are currently undergoing major projects funded through FEMA following Typhoon recovery efforts. Schools with active construction include Hopwood Middle School, Da’ok Academy, Oleai Elementary School, San Vicente Elementary School, Francisco M. Sablan Middle School and William S. Reyes Elementary School. A Career Technical Education Center is also under construction on Beach Road in front of Marianas High School.
Camacho also discussed school traffic safety, referencing a traffic vulnerability assessment PSS conducted in partnership with the mayor’s office, the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Public Works. The agencies signed a memorandum of understanding as part of that effort. He said he is now working with the legislature on solutions identified through the assessment and noted a recent incident in which a child was struck by a vehicle near a school.
The commissioner also praised PSS bus drivers, saying the relationship between drivers and students at the start of each school day sets a positive tone for learning.
“The first step into our school and our education system when they’re bus riders is when they step into the bus,” Camacho said.
Watch the full interview on the NMI News Service Facebook page and YouTube channel.
