The site being cleared on the hillside behind the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) is for a Department of Education building.
Director of Education Talauega, Dr. Samasoni Asaeli, said in response to KHJ News questions, “That is the site of the new ASDOE Career & Technical School.”
He said, this school will focus on offering career pathways and technical skills development for students interested in pursuing a career in these areas.
Talauega explained that with the current vocational technical school, the emphasis is on both vocational technical areas and academic requirements.
“We want to have a school strictly dedicated to career and technical pathways development,” he said.
Adding that the location supports a smooth transition to ASCC, allows sharing of resources between the ASCC and ASDOE, to promote career pathways and technical skills, and provides students with at least entry-level skills certification, enabling them to either find a job or pursue further studies.
But questions have been raised on the project. There’s no public record of a meeting of the Project Notification and Review System Board to discuss a land use permit and it doesn’t appear that the excavation work, now underway by Titanic, was put out for bid.