Storm-damaged CNMI school to be completely rebuilt

9:21 am on 13 January 2020

A middle school on the Northern Marianas island of Saipan, which was devastated by Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018 is to be completely rebuilt.

Hopwood Middle School was severely damaged by Super Typhoon Yutu

Hopwood Middle School was severely damaged by Super Typhoon Yutu Photo: RNZ Pacific / Mark Rabago

The Public School System said rather than just renovate Hopwood Middle School, it would demolish the remaining classrooms and build a new campus using $US23 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Sixteen out of 35 classrooms at Hopwood were completely destroyed by Yutu.

The PSS said it may take over four years to build a new, state-of the-art facility to replace the old one.

Hopwood's 1,000 students were currently holding classes in military tents set up next to a nearby elementary school.