Pacific / Northern Marianas

CNMI school devastated by 2018 typhoon nearly fully restored

12:59 pm on 25 May 2020

The Northern Marianas middle school that was nearly destroyed by Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018 is finally close to being fully restored.

The CNMI Public School System said renovations to Hopwood Middle School were 90 percent complete.

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

Contractors are completing the finishing touches on 19 classrooms to accommodate students when the 2021 school year starts.

Aside from the classrooms, work was also being done on the school's pavilion, fence and bus stop.

The PSS originally wanted to bulldoze the old Hopwood campus and build a new campus to the tune of $US23 million.

However, funding issues torpedoed those plans.

Sixteen out of 35 classrooms at Hopwood were completely destroyed and others were damaged by the 2018 storm.

Hopwood's 1,000 students have held classes in tents since then.