PSS wait-and-see on effect of Bush’s FY ’06 budget

By Marconi Calindas
Reporter

The Public School System is waiting to see if any of its federally funded programs will be reduced or eliminated, in the wake of President Bush’s submission of a $2.57-trillion budget for fiscal year 2006, which he said reflects some cuts in unsuccessful or redundant programs.

PSS officials, however, remain optimistic that the CNMI’s public schools will not be drastically affected by the budget cuts, unless there is a general downward trend in the total appropriation.

As far as PSS’ efforts in implementing programs under the No Child Left Behind Act, Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos said that she doesn’t see any major changes or effect at this time. “I don’t see a threat,” she said, adding that all of PSS’ programs are running smoothly.

The U.S. government extends an estimated $23 million in federal assistance to the PSS for various teaching and learning programs.

Bush had said in his budget proposal that his administration had taken a hard look at programs that have not succeeded or shown progress in spite of multiple opportunities provided. He said he is recommending significant spending reductions or elimination of programs that are not effective.

Inos said that, unless the entire budget itself goes down, PSS programs are not going to be affected by these proposed cuts.

PSS director of finance Richard Waldo, who is currently on a one-week U.S. Departmen of Education seminar in Arizona, said that he hopes this matter would be discussed during the seminar. He said the proposal might cut the budget of other programs but not that of education.

“The effect on us, if ever, will be less,” said Waldo, since the CNMI gets just a fraction of the entire U.S. budget. “We won’t feel it [cuts] as much as other states would, like California.” Waldo said, though, that he could be wrong, “We never had our budget cut yet. If ever, this might be the first year that that will happen.”

Inos argued that the Special Education programs of PSS even might get increased funding.

She also said that if cuts actually take place in the CNMI’s allocation, the extra funds would actually just be used for other PSS programs. “It’s sort of an addition by subtraction,” said Inos.

“But I don’t think that’s going to happen,” she added, saying that there were programs that were supposed to be cut in the last budget cycle but this did not happen. “So we just don’t know yet until we get the final budget. Every year PSS takes a look at the programs that might be dismissed.”

“Right now I’m not alerted at all about this matter,” she said.

Inos said that any reduction in the funding might impact some competitive programs, which are different from what PSS is implementing right now. “We have allocations that we’re entitled to, and we have allocation that we compete for,” she said, “So it’s probably those programs that people compete for that might have some changes.”

Inos said that she would continue monitoring the budget situation closely so that the public could also be informed of any effect this budget proposal may have on the CNMI community.