PSS prepares contingency for budget cut

Unable to commit higher spending limit for the Public School System, legislators yesterday turned a budget hearing on the agency into an opportunity to make demands and pitch improvement for schools in their respective precincts.

PSS officials, however, pleaded for another $10 million on top of the $38.7 million set aside by the Tenorio administration under its proposed spending package for Fiscal Year 2000.

Failure to infuse additional money would mean impact on the quality of education on the island and the delivery of services to thousands of children attending public schools, they told legislators during the day-long hearing.

“PSS did attempt and went through reduction, cost cutting and austerity to make ends meet,” said Commissioner Rita H. Inos. “We understand the Commonwealth situation but we come here to appeal for our children.”

School officials presented to the House Ways and Means Committee their budget proposal of $48 million which they said is sufficient to meet operational and personnel costs in the next fiscal year.

At present, PSS has left 300 positions vacant since last year to prevent serious budget shortfall and to help the administration cut the government deficit.

This represents almost 28 percent of the 1,300 teachers, employees and administrative staff of the public education system in the CNMI whose salaries account for more than 93 percent or $34.9 million of the proposed FY 2000 spending level.

The proposed additional budget would allow PSS to hire more teachers to keep with the required student/ teacher ratio, pay its obligations to retirees as well as provide better instructional materials and facilities to the students.

Inos warned that they would be forced to implement “unpopular” measures which they have prepared as contingency in case the government further trims its share of the $206.98 million budget proposal.

The drastic steps include reduction in the personnel, salary rollback and cut in the workhours of both instructional staff and administrative services as well as slowdown in other operations such as school bus service.

“We know how critical we are. The number of kids will not change and the number of schools will remain the same,” Inos pointed out.

Members of the Ways and Means Committee, which is tasked to review Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio’s budget submission before the Legislature approves it, were non-committal on their request for additional funding.

While many expressed support for the $48 million budget package, observers said this may be “lip service” in view of the midterm November elections where most of them are seeking reelection.

Instead of addressing the budgetary needs of PSS, legislators grilled education officials on what they have done to meet the requirements of various schools on the island, ranging from designating bus stops to building a new school in As Matuis.

With the limited budget given to them by the Legislature, an official who spoke on condition of anonymity said “they are asking for the moon and the stars when they can’t even give us sufficient funds with which to provide quality education.”

Board of Education Chair Esther S. Fleming said that without the badly needed funds they will have to face more difficulties in trying to perform their duties.

“I’m sure with the present staff that we have on board and that we can only be funded under the $37 million budget, I think we can still continue to carry through but it will not mean we can achieve some of the goals of the PSS,” she said in an interview after the hearing. “We can only do so much.”