WHILE other schools’ population continues to grow, the Mayor A.S. Fortuna Memorial Elementary School is expecting fewer pupils in the incoming school year.
School principal Leduvina Andrino said this is due to the fires that hit Barangay Guizo.
“Guizo was already hit by fire twice and only few families can go back to the fire site so there is a possibility that the number of our enrollees will go down,” she said.
“We have enough teachers but what we are really worried about is the decrease in our enrollment,” Andrino added.
Some of their teachers might be assigned to another school.
During school year 2016 to 2017, Andrino said they have 1,064 pupils and 31 teachers.
On March 12 last year, Barangays Mantuyong and Guizo were hit by a huge fire that left 2,222 families homeless.
On Jan. 1 this year, Guizo was hit by another blaze that destroyed 90 houses.
For those affected during the first fire, the City Government identified 369 families who can go back to the fire site while 288 will be transferred to a relocation site.
The other fire survivors were moved to Cebu City and other neighboring towns.
Aside from fewer students, Andrino said that their school is also facing problems with dilapidated classrooms.
Classes of different grade levels during the last school year, she said, were held inside makeshift classrooms and at the old Guizo barangay hall.