Saipan Public Schools

This page is intended to provide educators going through the recruitment process with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Public School System information on the eight elementary schools, junior high school, and senior high school on Saipan. Information about hiring procedures and certification requirements are available at the Public School System's homepage. More information about Saipan can be found at the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands homepage.

Garapan Elementary School	Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School
Koblerville Elementary School	Oleai Elementary School
San Antonio Elementary School	San Vicente Elementary School
Tanapag Elementary School	William S. Reyes Elementary School
Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood Junior High School	Marianas High School

Garapan Elementary School Home of the Mallards (Nganga Palao) Garapan Elementary School was first established in 1967 at what is now American Memorial Park. In 1971, they relocated it to its present site after typhoon Jean destroyed most of its classrooms. This is one of the largest elementary schools in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The school is located about a block from the Commonwealth Health Center toward the east. Toward the west are
various hotels and business establishments that cater mostly to the tourists and other visitors. Aside from the school's air-conditioned classrooms and other educational related services, the school also has a well-kept ball field and basketball court. These playground facilities are open to the public for sports competitions. It also has a quadrangle and a stage for performances and assemblies.
Garapan Elementary School P. O. Box 1370 CK Saipan, MP 96950-1370 Phone: (670) 234-9832 Fax: (670) 234-0511 Garapan

Principal: Juan Babauta Enrollment: 876 Teachers: 39

Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School Home of the Deer (Binadu) This school was established in 1951. It is located at the northern end of the island in the village of
San Roque and is on the beach.
Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School P. O. Box 1370 CK Saipan, MP 96950-1370 Phone: (670) 322-9842 Fax: (670) 322-4061 GTC

Principal: Billy Billy Enrollment: 357 Teachers: 17

Koblerville Elementary School Home of the Hugging Umang (Hermit Crab) In school year 1986-1987 Koblerville Elementary School opened its doors to 278 students in grades one to seven, with seven teachers on staff. With each school year the enrollment and teaching staff grew. For school year 1990-1991 they moved the seventh grade to the junior high school and two kindergarten classes were opened. Since then, the enrollment and staff have continued to increase. Koblerville Elementary School is located at the south end of the island.
Koblerville Elementary School P. O. Box 1370 CK Saipan, MP 96950-1370 Phone: (670) 234-3800 Fax: (670) 234-3809 koblerville@saipan.com KES

Principal: Brigida Ichihara Enrollment: 400 Teachers: 23

Oleai Elementary School Home of the Turtles (Haggan) Oleai Elementary School was established in 1958 in the village of San Jose.
Oleai Elementary School P. O. Box 1370 CK Saipan, MP 96950-1370 Phone: (670) 234-6167 Fax: (670) 234-2075 OES

Principal: Evelyn Manglona Enrollment: 504 Teachers: 27

San Antonio Elementary School Home of the Octopus (Gamson) The southwestern most school on Saipan, San Antonio Elementary School's playground is an extension of the white sand beach of the island's western shore. When the winds are high, the sails of wind surfers glide by, colorful silhouettes against the bottle green waves piled high behind the barrier reef.

The smallest public school on Saipan, S.A.E.S. is a village school and family oriented. The history of San Antonio Elementary School dates back to school years 1966-68, when San Antonio students occupied a separate annex on the grounds of Chalan Kanoa Elementary School (now William S. Reyes Elementary School). Typhoon Jean destroyed the annex in 1968, and the students numbering less than one hundred, were temporarily housed at Hopwood Junior High School until community leaders persuaded the Board of Education to establish a school site in their village.

San Antonio Elementary School P. O. Box 513 CK Saipan, MP 96950-0513 Phone: (670) 234-6227 Fax: (670) 235-6753 saes@gtepacifica.net SAES Octopuss

(Library) Principal: Doris Thompson Enrollment: 335 Teachers: 17

San Vicente Elementary School Home of the Canary (Kanario) Five years after World War II, a Quonset hut became a multi-grade school room for fifteen students from the vicinity of Tuturam Beach. At the same time that Tuturam Elementary School was in existence, the people of Tuturam area asked the government for a land area of about ten hectares to open up a village that would henceforth be known as San Vicente. By 1956, they converted all Japanese buildings to school rooms. They then bused the students of San Vicente down to Oleai where they attended school until 1971.

On April 11, 1968, Typhoon Jean struck and devastated the island of Saipan. Under the Typhoon Jean Relief Program which received funding from the United States Congress, the district administrator included the construction of a four-classroom school house for San Vicente. In 1971, with four teachers and a principal, San Vicente Elementary School was to educate one-hundred eleven students in grades one to four.

San Vicente Elementary School P. O. Box 1370 CK Saipan, MP 96950-1370 Phone: (670) 234-6219 Fax: (670) 235-6758 SVES Campus

Principal: Martha Haberman Enrollment: 1,058 Teachers: 46

Tanapag Elementary School Home of the Tataga (Unicorn Fish) Beginning in 1945 the Naval Administration severely limited the use of most of the island of Saipan. First, to protect civilians from the war detritus that lay about, and, later for the support of the CIA covert training operations. Resettlement was at first limited to only the island center but eventually was extended outwards as families returned to their land holdings to farm and develop their property.

Its original inhabitants who had spent the years since the American invasion in Camp Susupe near Chalan Kanoa reestablished the community of Tanapag in the mid 1950's. Although homes began to be built of the metal sheets, wood, and plywood left by the military, the designated school for Tanapag children was to the north in San Roque Village where the Navy had established a small elementary school earlier for local children living in this northwest coastal area. This was a walk-in school but it was staffed by a number of wives of navy personnel who lived in the military housing areas on Navy Hill and Capital Hill.

Following the U.N. Committee visit in 1960 and its critical report citing the administration's lack of progress toward social and economic development, U.S. funds were forwarded in earnest. School construction began in several more villages from the funds provided through a Kennedy administration program for education improvement and American teachers. Tanapag Elementary began on its present site after Voice of America (VOA) antenna towers were removed and the station decommissioned.

Since its inception in 1962, the school has served the geographic area bounded by the edge of Tanapag Harbor on the west, the Lower Base Industrial Park and As Mahetog on the south, the island's center ridge (including Capital Hill), and San Roque Village on the north. This is an area of less than 10 sq. kilometers of light forest and a pasture covered by tangantangan, flame trees, and sosugi trees.

Tanapag Elementary School P. O. Box 1370 CK Saipan, MP 96950-1370 Phone: (670) 322-9843 Fax: (670) 322-6456 tanelem@gtepacifica.net TES Campus

Principal: George Haberman Enrollment: 381 Teachers: 24

William S. Reyes Elementary School Home of the Kingfisher (Sihek) In 1946 this school was established under the U.S. Naval Administration as the only elementary school in all of Saipan. It was then known as Chalan Kanoa Elementary School. In 1962 the U.S. navy transferred the administration of Saipan to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Giving William S. Reyes Elementary School the distinct honor of having undergone three administrations. Namely: U.S. Navy, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It was during the Commonwealth Administration, specifically in 1984, that they renamed the Chalan Kanoa Elementary School William S. Reyes Elementary School. This was to honor the late Mr. Reyes, the first Superintendent of Schools. William S. Reyes Elementary School P. O. Box 1370 CK Saipan, MP 96950-1370 Phone: (670) 234-6170 Fax: (670) 234-9692 wsreyes@saipan.com WSR Campus

Principal: Maria Pangelinan Enrollment: 773 Teachers: 43

Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood Junior High School Home of the Hilitai (Lizard) Hopwood Junior High School, originally known as Saipan Intermediate School, was the first institution of higher learning in the Northern Marianas. They organized the school as a separate institution with grades seven through nine in September 1949 at the Chalan Kanoa site. They moved it to its present Chalan Piao location in the summer of 1952. Then they reconditioned ten Quonsets that were used as classrooms. The institution represented the highest level of public education on Saipan; it was in session for six full hours daily.

In the late 1950's they renamed the school Hopwood Intermediate school in honor of Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood, U.S.N. Commanding Officer for the Northern Marianas. The construction of the main "H" building began in 1961 under Commander P. W. Bridwell, U.S.N. Contracting Officer, who designed the building. Then, in 1962, it assumed its present name of Hopwood Junior High School.

Hopwood Junior High School P. O. Box 746 CK Saipan, MP 96950-0746 Phone: (670) 234-0838 Fax: (670) 235-6701 Hopwood Campus

Principal: Lou Mendiola Enrollment: 1,050 Teachers: 54

Marianas High School Home of the Dolphin (Dofen) Marianas High School is the only public high school in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A year after Typhoon Jean, in the fall of 1969, Marianas High School enrolled its first students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades, at its present site in Susupe. In the fall of 1990, they transferred the 9th grade from Hopwood Junior High School to M.H.S.

In the beginning of the school year 1995-1996, they introduced the track system. They offer instruction now on three separate tracks. Since only two tracks are in session at any given time, school facilities may be utilized more efficiently while continuing to provide students with the prescribed number of hours of instruction. The school motto is "Team Effort Toward Excellence."

Marianas High School P. O. Box 207 CK Saipan, MP 96950-0207 Phone: (670) 234-6204 Fax: (670) 235-7176 MHS Campus

Principal: Dr. James Denight Enrollment: 1,701 Teachers: 83

Marianas High School, Hopwood Junior High School, San Vicente, and William S. Reyes Elementary Schools are all on year-round multi-track calendars. The remainder of the schools are on a year-round single track calendar. This consists of forty-five days on and ten days off, with six weeks off in the summer. All elementary schools are K-6, the junior high is 7-8, and the high school is 9-12. For more information on the CNMI Public School System, take a look at their homepage.

The names of the school mascots are provided in English and Chamorro (the local language). The enrollment and teacher information is from the Research Information & Training Center and reflects the numbers for school year 1997-1998. Information about each school was obtained from the school's most recent accreditation report, except for Marianas High School. Their information was obtained from the school webpage. All schools are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Oleai, San Vicente, Tanapag, and San Antonio Elementary Schools all received the maximum six year accreditation.

For more detailed information on Saipan, go to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) homepage. They include photographs of Saipan and provide information on tourism, business, government, education, weather, news, history, and geography. For a more detailed and personal view, go to Mike Newman's homepage (no relation).

Graphics for this page are courtesy of the Dog Hause, IconBazaar, and Graphic Maps.

This page was created by Michael Newman as part of the course requirements for Internet Resources offered by the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida.

E-mail questions or comments to mtnewmans@hotmail.com You are visitor

since November 22, 1997