Anticipating the influx of students and the strain of additional school classrooms with the opening of senior high schools across the country, Bohol Division of the Department of Education (DEPED) assures they are undertaking options to accommodate students in the new school year.

The statement came as Governor Edgar Chatto who heads the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) wants to be appraised of potential situation arising from the usual class opening blues: lack of class rooms.

At the PPOC meeting, Chatto asked the DepEd through superintendent Wilfreda Bongalos the status of classroom construction and potential backlogs, this early, or weeks before the public schools officially open June 13.

On this, Superintendent Bongalos reported that classroom construction in Bohol’s District 2 and District 3 are now at 85%, and expects to have these classrooms ready for occupancy by the school opening or a few days later.

But, she said the Division Office has opened up options for the kids.

By options, Bongalos said they are temporarily opening up libraries and spare rooms to accommodate student classes while the rooms are built.

A different scenario however is happening in District 1.

Dr. Bongalos said a bigger backlog is expected in District 1 because the DepED accordingly missed the Mines and Geo Sciences Bureau (MGB) clearance considering that some school sites in the district hit by the 2013 earthquake need MGB green light.

The 2013 earthquake compromised several school sites that buildings and repairs need to be cleared to make sure that money spent for school buildings are not wasted to improper construction without considering the surface condition and integrity and safety of the sites and buildings.

She cited Baclayon and Panggangan High School sites encountering problems.

Two storey buildings designed for the mentioned sites apparently could not be built as digging the buildings’ foundations would be tough with water 5 meters below the surface noted in these areas, Bongalos said.

On this, DepED said they have already submitted redesigns of the buildings: single storey instead of the double storeys so the construction could start.

Even then, DepED said students getting to senior high school can have a good choice among Bohol’s 29 public senior high schools  and 54 private high schools with senior high school course offerings. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)