More than 400 public school classrooms are expected to rise in Valenzuela City in two years as the local government builds more to keep up with the rising number of students in public schools.

The City Engineer’s Office has reported that 15 public elementary and high school buildings have been scheduled for construction in 2014 and 2015. Together, the buildings will yield a total of 435 classrooms.

Officials of the local government are hoping the additional facilities will help the city maintain its compliance to the ideal pupil-to-classroom ratio of 1:45.

Since August, four school buildings, 54 classrooms in all, have been finished and opened.

The recently inaugurated schools in the city include the new campus of Valenzuela Science High School, which has been renamed the Valenzuela School of Mathematics and Science in Barangay Malinta; the three-storey building of Apolonia Rafael Elementary School in Barangay Mapulang Lupa; the four-storey building of Malinta National High School in Barangay Malinta; and the three-storey building of Sitero Francisco High School in Barangay Ugong.

Now, including the newly opened, there are 1,489 public school classrooms in Valenzuela City which accommodate 141, 814 pupils, Department of Education data show.  

The next target schools that are part of the additional classroom construction project include Antonio Serapio Elementary School, Arkong Bato High School, Coloong Elementary School, Disiplina Village – Bignay Elementary School, Disiplina Village – Bignay High School, Gen. T. de Leon High School, Lingunan High School, Paso de Blas High School, Pasolo Elementary School, Veinte Reales High School, and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela.

The local government is allotting Php537 million for the construction of these school buildings as part of its 360-Degree Educational Investment Program, a large-scale spending on the city educational system.  Besides building more classrooms, the investment package consists of feeding program for the underweight, remedial classes for poor readers, training for teachers, and free educational supplies.