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Kindergarten program back on track • Teaching staff, funding identified to continue project, according to PSS
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Posted on May 13 1999
After careful consideration of its current teaching personnel and budgetary requirements, the Public School System is set to open the kindergarten registration the soonest possible time.
Board member Frances Diaz, who heads the Fiscal and Budget committee, said payroll requirements for kindergarten teachers are already part of the Fiscal Year 2000 proposed spending package, thus eliminating the problem on where to source personnel costs.
Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos earlier instructed school principals to delay their kindergarten registration until the agency identifies the pool of teachers that will be assigned in kindergarten classes for primary level.
At present there are around 20 certified teachers who are tasked to handle kindergarten classes.
Amid reports of potential mass departure of tutors, a recent inventory showed that majority of the public school teachers will keep their jobs.
In addition, school principals have presented their staffing count which reflected enough teachers for grades 1 to 12, including the kindergarten program.
“Financially we don’t need to move our kindergarten teachers and we would be able to meet minimum staffing,” added fiscal and budget officer William Matson.
Based on the current budget, personnel costs for the kindergarten program at 11 campuses in the CNMI received $800,000, while the early childhood received $200,000 in federal funds this year.
There are over 600 students enrolled in the kindergarten program in the public schools and parents have strongly opposed its planned suspension.
Last week both parents and teachers sought audience with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to lobby for support for the retention of the kindergarten program amid plans by PSS to suspend its temporarily.
