WASHINGTON, D.C.-President Obama Fiscal Year 2011 budget, released on Monday, includes $1.35 billion to continue the “Race to the Top” education initiative, and U.S. Rep. Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP) wants to be sure the Northern Marianas will be eligible to compete for these education funds.
Sablan took the lead in writing to the President and Education Secretary Arne Duncan last month on behalf of all the U.S. territories to press for access to the programs and the expected new money.
“Race to the Top is a program included in last year's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Territories were not eligible because our education funds came through a separate stream of money,” explains Sablan.
“Now that the President is proposing to extend Race to the Top and make it a multi-year program, though, the Northern Mariana Islands needs to be included. Because the Recovery Act education funds we received were just a one-time appropriation.”
The Northern Mariana Islands Public School System was granted $36.4 million from the Recovery Act's State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. The first $28.4 million was awarded in October and PSS is currently using the money to pay teachers, renovate classrooms to make them more energy efficient, and fill other needs not covered by local funding.
Sablan has worked closely with PSS officials to maximize the amount of Recovery Act money that goes to education in the Marianas and to make sure the money gets used as quickly as possible.
To date, the Northern Marianas is the only U.S. territory that has received any of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund money. (PR)
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