Koblerville Elementary breaks ground on Resilient Modular Classrooms following typhoon devastation

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Koblerville Elementary School broke ground on August 4 on a critical modular classroom project spearheaded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With construction having officially started on August 2, the rapid rebuilding effort aims to restore a stable, full-day learning environment for nearly 500 displaced students by mid-October.

To replace the compromised structures, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and USACE are constructing 22 high-tech modular classrooms for KES. Christine Tamura, a project engineer for USACE, shared details on the robust engineering behind the new facilities, emphasizing their resilience against future severe weather events.

​"We've designed these classrooms to withstand the environment here in Saipan. They're going to be able to withstand high winds, heavy rains, and typhoon-level winds of 194 miles an hour," Tamura stated. "They're also going to be temperature-controlled, humidity-controlled, and noise-controlled." The site will also be outfitted with ADA-compliant ramps and protective shade covers.

​Tamura confirmed that despite the rapid timeline, USACE is confident in its delivery. "The project completion is on October 12th," she affirmed, adding that Pacific Design Builders, a Hawaii-based firm with regional experience, is acting as the primary contractor alongside several local Saipan companies hired for the site work.

Until the targeted October 12 completion date, KES students and staff will temporarily relocate to William S. Reyes Elementary School under a "double session" arrangement beginning August 18.

PSS Commissioner Jacqueline Che explained that with Koblerville's original campus too severely damaged to host a summer program or open for the fall semester, school leadership collaborated with WSR to ensure educational continuity.

​"We have relocated all our students and staff over to WSR Elementary School and right there, they're doing double session, and we're going to continue that... until our new Koblerville Elementary School is built," Che explained. Under the half-day system, WSR students attend during one half of the day, while KES students attend the other, sharing the single campus. To make up for lost instructional time, PSS is supplementing core academic content with after-school interventions and extended homework.

​Recognizing the severe impact the storms had on families—many of whom lost homes or remain without power—PSS is also implementing a trauma-informed approach alongside their standard six-year curriculum.

​"We're adding more social-emotional learning into the curriculum because a lot of our kids are coming back from the typhoon, so they're dealing with anxiety, with trauma," Che noted. Teachers are undergoing specific training to support the students' evolving needs. "We are very cognizant that these are the kids that are coming back, and we're being very responsive to that new population."

For the educators on the ground, the multi-million-dollar investment represents more than just disaster recovery; it brings a much-needed upgrade to an aging campus.

​Chang Torres Iglecias, a first-grade teacher who has taught at KES for 19 years expressed profound gratitude. "I really think that Koblerville has really needed a long-overdue makeover, because the school has been standing for more than 30 years," she said.

​Addressing previous concerns about campus safety and structural vulnerabilities, the veteran educator feels a renewed sense of security. "With these new modulars, we feel more comfortable... I see it as each modular being a million dollars, you know that it's a true blessing for our students. As teachers and students, we're just humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude."

​While the double sessions and ongoing registration process present logistical hurdles, school leadership and the community remain highly optimistic about the future.

​"Our kids deserve to come back home to their second home," Che concluded. "I do ask our Koblerville community and WSR community that we work together in partnership to just hang in there... as soon as these modulars are completed, it'll be beautiful and wonderful for our students that we'll be able to restore our full-day classes."