PSS to get $150K only

Of the $610,000 that the Public School System needs to repair schools and function up to September, the Department of Finance could only come up with a fourth of that amount—$150,000—which will be issued to PSS on Monday.

Board of Education board chair Roman C. Benavente told the Saipan Tribune yesterday that Gov. Juan N. Babauta, together with Finance Secretary Fermin Atalig, promised to release the funds on Monday.

BOE vice chair Dino Jones and secretary and treasurer Marja Lee Taitano joined Benavente in a two-hour discussion with Babauta at the Governor’s Office.

“We had to ask for the money,” said Benavente.

He said they had a good dialogue with the governor, discussing priorities and Babauta laying out his position on the matter.

The central government had earlier promised that it would remit $130,000 to PSS yesterday but Benavente said this did not happen. “But he [Babauta] assured us that the check will be issued this coming Monday,” Benavente said.

As for the rest of the amount that PSS needs to support its financial requirements until September—$460,000—the BOE will have to follow up on this again, said the BOE chair.

Benavente said the governor assured the board that, as soon as collections come in, the amount requested would be forwarded to PSS.

“We will be in constant communication with the Finance office. We will continue checking with Atalig,” said Benavente.

As soon as PSS gets the promised $150,000 on Monday, Benavente said the money would be used to repair the classroom in Kagman High School that was burglarized and burned down by teenagers last May.

Associate commissioner for administrative services David M. Borja had earlier said that the amount is insufficient to repair the burned classroom, as the school needs at least $160,000 to repair it.

Benavente agreed with Borja’s statements. “That’s why whatever is going to be left from the expected money on Monday would be used on all other expenses of other schools.” They would still have to identify those other schools, he said.

BOE SENDS FOLLOW-UP LETTER

Borja and Benavente also followed up with the Governor’s Office on the status of House Joint Resolution 14-32 and the $5.2 million in Compact Impact funds that Babauta had promised PSS. The resolution approves the reprogramming of $1.1 million for the unanticipated budget shortfall at PSS.

Benavente said they wrote the governor to ask him on the status of the $1.1 million due the PSS. He said this was part of the discussion they had with Babauta and Atalig yesterday afternoon.

The letter also reminded the Governor that 20 public schools are opening next Wednesday and that the $1.1 million is needed for the fuel needs of school buses, bus repairs, trash collection, security guards of schools, repairs and maintenance of schools, and payment of annual leaves of employees.

“It will be very difficult to undertake major renovations with teachers and students using the classrooms,” reads part of the letter.

Benavente said their concerns on the Compact Impact Funds, were not discussed during their meeting yesterday. He said the BOE would arrange another meeting with the governor on this.

Last December 2004, the governor announced that he would be allocating $5 million from the Compact Impact funds to PSS for four years, for a total of $20 million.