BOE pursues honorarium for traveling members

The State Board of Education is currently looking into possible changes to its own by laws with regard to a board policy which does not specify that board members are entitled to receive honorarium while on official travel status.

Citing a certain provision in the BOE by laws, Public School System Legal Counsel Tim Connor said that though it is not against existing BOE rules to provide honorarium to any board member traveling under PSS-related business, existing practices dictate otherwise.

Mr. Connor commented the practice is somewhat “discriminatory” especially for non-Saipan board members since most board meetings are held here.

“We have a situation where we have a meeting on Saipan and Tinian or Rota members are not paid honorarium because they’re considered under travel status,” said Mr. Connor.

He added that all members are entitled reimbursement for travel whether board meetings are held on Saipan, Rota, or Tinian.

But Member Esther Fleming suggested that the legal counsel seek legal opinion over the matter before amendments in its policies are tackled.

Rota-based member Marja Lee Taitano said it is about time that the board address this long-standing concern.

“All other members of boards receive an honorarium when they travel and there’s no reason why we should deny honorarium to members, under our own policies. I don’t care if its me or anyone,” said Ms. Taitano.

Members attending off-island meetings are supposedly entitled to $15 stipend, according to Ms. Taitano.

“I never saw any of it, by the way. And yet when teachers from Saipan attend meetings outside Saipan, they get an honorarium. I have been a member of the board for years, and I have never received any honorarium,” she said.

The system, Ms. Taitano continued, should treat all members of “equitably.”

“We can’t treat one member different from another,” she added.

Member Anthony Pellegrino has also expressed support that the board pursue the necessary changes.

“I don’t know why we tolerated it for so long,” said Mr. Pellegrino.

It has been common practice that PSS employees and officials attending off-island functions are given travel allowances instead of honorarium.

Under CNMI laws, government employees are entitled a $60 honorarium for one whole day while on official business.

PSS employees traveling outside the CNMI are entitled $44 for incidental expenses, not including hotel costs plus taxes.

Within the CNMI, PSS employees are entitled a flat rate of $85 a day. (MM)