‘PSS programs to suffer if new budget fails’

Cutting down on its educational programs will be one of the sacrifices the Public School System may have to implement if it fails to get its $50 million budget for 2005-2006 passed, according to acting Commissioner of Education David M. Borja.

Borja said that PSS would still get at least $37.2 million in local funding under the continuing resolution but, with that kind of money, it would have no other choice but to sacrifice some programs.

He said programs like the Reading Resources, which helps students read better and more effectively, would suffer from the lack of funds. The program is in line with PSS’ goal to raise the reading level of CNMI students to their grade levels by 2008.

“We have to help the students and it would be a sacrifice that may affect our ability to meet our goals in 2008,” said Borja.

Other consequences would be the non-replacement of teachers who are up for retirement this December, he said. Over 40 teachers are retiring by the end of this year.

Borja said the PSS might have to deal with a student population not proportionate to the teachers they could hire, which would eventually affect student learning.

“We have been studying the impacts,” he said, adding that PSS director of finance Richard Waldo is also helping him chart possible scenarios brought about by the lack of funding.

Borja said there are other pending PSS issues such as classroom conditions that need to be addressed but, without funding, these would also have to be deferred.

The PSS again issued an ultimatum to the government a day before Election Day on Nov. 5, saying it would shut down schools if the Legislature fails to pass its budget proposal as soon as possible.

The Board of Education unanimously agreed during a regular monthly meeting on Capitol Hill on Nov. 4 that it would close a number of schools if the government does not pass its $50 million budget proposal for school year 2005-2006.

Borja said yesterday that, although the board unanimously agreed on the shutdown of schools in two weeks, as an educator himself, he personally believes that his mission in the CNMI is to promote service to the community by educating the students.

“As much as possible we would want to continue our services to the students,” Borja said.

BOE chair Roman C. Benavente said during the last board meeting that the government is putting the entire education system in a tight situation. “Either they support us or we shut the schools down,” he said.

Benavente earlier said the public should be aware of the current condition of the school system—that it is “in a very sticky situation” right now. He added that the board should gather up as many people and walk to the Senate. He said, though, that the march to the upper chamber would be a last resort before they shut down the schools.