PSS still awaiting word on extra funding

The Public School System is still awaiting word from the Governor’s Office on its request for additional funding of $1.1 million for school year 2005-2006, according to PSS associate commissioner for administrative services David M. Borja.

Borja said PSS has not heard anything from Gov. Juan N. Babauta since the Legislature passed House Joint Resolution 14-32, which approved the reprogramming of funds from the deficit reduction account to cover the unanticipated budget shortfall of PSS for fiscal year 2005.

In a letter to the Governor’s Office last week, both Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos and Board of Education chair Roman C. Benavente sought the immediate attention of the local government to their request before the new school year starts next month.

The two PSS officials asked Babauta to instruct the special assistant for Management and Budget to allocate the additional $1.1 million to the school system, and also requested the Finance secretary to transfer the funds directly to PSS.

In their letter, Inos and Benavente itemized the spending plan for the $1.1 million: payment of annual leaves, worth $200,000; payment of security guards in schools, $100,000; school bus repairs, $100,000; fuel for the school buses, $50,000; trash collection, $40,000; and for minor repairs and maintenance of the 20 public schools as determined by the school system, which should be done before school starts on Aug. 2.

Borja said school principals have been asking PSS as to when they would get the budget for school repairs. He said the extra funding would be enough to support school operations until September. He also said the funds will help repair the schools that have been burglarized: Kagman High School, Hopwood Junior High School, Marianas High School, and Dandan Elementary School.

He said most of the schools would need a “facelift” prior to school opening this August. Borja said he visited three schools last week and found that two schools, which he would not name, are in such bad shape that repairs and renovations are the utmost priority.

Reps. David M. Apatang, Jesus T. Attao, Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, Heinz S. Hofschneider, Arnold Palacios and Ramon A. Tebuteb introduced House Joint Resolution No. 14-32, SD2 late last April. The Senate then adopted the resolution in June. The House finally concurred with the Senate’s amendment on July 5.

The House Joint Resolution stated that the Legislature agrees that the unforeseeable cost of additional students and the opening of five new schools without a corresponding increase in the PSS budget warrant the use of the deficit reduction fund established under P.L. 13-24 for defraying the PSS expenditure.