PSS issues E-rate survey
The Public School System will begin distributing this week E-rate survey forms that will determine CNMI’s eligibility to apply for technology and telecommunications federal funding in support of ongoing plans to institute a CNMI-wide electronic network infrastructure.
PSS Technology Coordinator Mark Savares met yesterday with representatives from each public school to finalize distribution plans as well as to mark the deadline for its submission.
Collectively, some 36,000 questionnaires in three sets of languages (Chamorro, Carolinian, and English) are set to be given out to parents of close to 10,000 students on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian.
According to Mr. Savares, the information gathered from the survey is an absolute requirement for PSS’ E-rate application to be submitted to the Schools and Libraries Division.
The deadline set for submission of the survey questionnaires is on Nov. 6, Monday.
“We like to underscore to parents that their cooperation in this effort would benefit their children’s education,” said Mr. Savares.
Realizing that the survey form enlists sensitive questions that require families to disclose their annual family income, Mr. Savares assured that such information will be kept strictly confidential.
Parents also have the option not to write their names on the forms, though PSS has required respondents to include their addresses and phone numbers to ensure that there will be no mixed up.
Results of the survey will help PSS keep tabs of the number of students that are qualified for the free National School Lunch Program or students whose families are participating in the Federal Nutrition Assistance Program, the public housing assistance, Medicaid, federal Supplementary Security income, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Problems encountered by the PSS during last year’s E-rate application have taught the team to administer a more careful planning starting with the surveys.
“This year, we made sure that it’s clear to parents what it is exactly that they are filling out. We composed the survey form in such a way that it narrated more of the purpose, with a little more information about E-rate. So that they will be more informed on how this affects their child and providing telecom services in public schools,” said Mr. Savares.
Pressed for time, the PSS team last year had to exert extra efforts to compile survey returns and have its E-rate application package ready earlier than expected.
“We’re really shooting for the highest survey returns because the more responses we get, that brings our discount level up,” he said.
