Hopwood Middle School demolition begins

Almost seven years after Super Typhoon Yutu ravaged the CNMI and left much of Hopwood Middle School unusable, its demolition is set to begin on Saturday, Oct. 4, and is expected to conclude around Oct. 15, marking the start of a new chapter for the campus. On Tuesday, a demolition ceremony was held at the campus.

Special remarks were delivered by Gov. David M. Apatang, PSS Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho, Board of Education Chair Aschumar Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong, HMS Principal Victorino N. Borja, and Michael Jang of FSM Recycling Corporation.

Those in attendance—including HMS Student Council president Marq Hernandez, student representative Aubygale Castro, and Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho—took turns breaking a piece of the school with hammers before posing for a group photo against the backdrop of the soon-to-be-demolished campus.

According to the project signboard, the Hopwood Middle School Design-Build Construction Project is funded by FEMA and managed by the CNMI Public School System in partnership with the CNMI Public Assistance Office. Contractor CJ Innovation Co. Ltd. was awarded the $21.55 million contract, with construction slated for completion by August 6, 2026.

In February, HMS unveiled its modular classrooms in a prefabricated structure that will temporarily house students until the new campus is rebuilt.

Borja said in his closing remarks, “To say that we at Hopwood Middle School have been waiting for this moment is a major understatement. Yutu may have destroyed these buildings, but it did not destroy our resilience and determination to educate our students and help prepare them for their future. This new campus building project is not just an investment in Hopwood Middle School. It is an investment in preparing the future productive members of our community who will potentially bring positive changes to the CNMI.”

“With that said, I thank everyone who has helped to make this event possible, thank you for attending our ceremony, and I look forward to the groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies,” ended Borja.