Youth leaders discuss issues with Inos

Three youth representatives yesterday sought audience with Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos to discuss about the school voucher, student-to-teacher ratio as well as other concerns.

“I heard that they are going to bring the school voucher back,” as Rep. Sonia Cosack opened the discussion. She is the chairman of the committee on Health, Education and Welfare.

She informed the commissioner that this piece of legislature is once again being deliberated in the committee level.

When the school voucher was opened for public comment last year, the Public School System was against it, Inos said. Personally, she wants to study its objectives first before making any official statements.

“It is good to see what he (Rep. Heinz Hofschneider) has in mind,” she told the group and suggested for a debate in the youth congress on the voucher issue.

However youth floor leader Nadine deleon Guerrero and Rep. Andrew Borja, who are both from Marianas High School, expressed opposition over the implementation of the school voucher program.

“I’m against it because they should spend the money within PSS,” deleon Guerrero said.

Borja touched on the fiscal budget, particularly on the gap of the budget cost for each student enrolled on Saipan compared to those on Tinian or Rota. Like a student enrolled at MHS is valued at $1,500 while one from Rota is worth $5,500, he said.

“Why don’t we shipped some of our students to Rota or Tinian,” he added.

Cosack also raised President Clinton’s latest school reform action which limits the size of each class to 18 students only. This new class size will reportedly take effect next school year.

“We will get a little of that federal funding but it is unrealistic to consider that (class size) at this time,” Inos replied.

Because of the present financial difficulties, the Board of Education had to suspend the 21 students to a teacher ratio at PSS.

The HEW Chairman also touched on the year-round school calendar for PSS. With the additional classrooms, PSS was able to revert it schools observing the multi-track system to year-round calendar this year, except San Vicente School.

“I like it now that we are beginning at the same time. Activities are a lot more fun,” deleon Guerrero said.