‘Use Compact money for renovation, not pay hikes’

Rather than use the Compact impact money to implement salary and merit increases for teachers and administrators, principals in the Public School System would rather have the funding used to renovate dilapidated school buildings in the Commonwealth.

This was the consensus of the 20 public school principals, according to Dandan Elementary School principal Jonas Barcinas, after PSS federal programs adviser Tim Thornburgh and other PSS officials presented them several options on what to do with the money during Thursday’s regular principals’ meeting at the Pacific Resource for Education and Learning of the Marianas High School.

Barcinas said Thornburgh presented them several options and scenarios as to where they can use the Compact money that was reportedly allocated to PSS by the Fitial administration.

“The principals agreed to prioritize the safety and learning of the students,” he said, adding that they recommended that the salary or merit increases could be implemented under next year’s Compact impact funding.

Barcinas said that school facilities are more important and should be addressed right now because several schools are already “falling apart.”

The principals’ meeting, Barcinas said, turned into “huge” exchange of opinions and ideas regarding the application and use of the money. Thornburgh and the Central Office advised the principals to each submit their reports as soon as possible.

“We have to use the [Compact impact] money wisely to avoid questions from the federal government,” Barcinas said.

The Babauta administration had promised PSS that it would get the full Compact impact funding for four years, worth more than $20 million. The current Fitial administration rescinded this, however, saying it is not accountable to the former administration’s promise. Instead, the fund would be distributed to government agencies that are also experiencing budget constraints like the departments of Public Health and Public Safety, among others.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said he would distribute the $5.2 million Compact impact funding to all government agencies affected by the current cash shortfall. He had also disclosed that it is likely that Public Health would get the “lion’s share” of the Compact impact fund. He said the PSS has not presented a viable justification on how it would use the money.

Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez said earlier that the health office has been more directly affected by the influx of citizens from the Freely Associated States. FAS citizens are allowed to enter U.S. territories under a Compact of Free Association it signed with the U.S. government. As part of the agreement, the U.S. government will pay the host territories for the impact of this migration. This payment is called the Compact impact fund.

In its original plan, which assumed that it would be getting the entire $5.2 million Compact impart fund, PSS was supposed to undertake electrical upgrades in 20 schools, as well as repair or replace old air-conditioning systems, upgrade classroom lighting, and undergo termite treatment and repairs in school buildings.

The PSS’ two-year proposal for the Compact funding was a combination of $10.3 million that should also allow PSS to address some “critical systemic” needs. The revised proposal also intended to fund PSS’ interscholastic sports programs. Additional computers, laptops, and LCD projectors would also be acquired with the Compact money.

The proposal also included merit increases to CNMI public school teachers who pass the PRAXIS certification exam.