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‘Schools must make up missed days’
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Posted on Nov 28 2008
Marianas High School will need to make up the four days that have been cancelled so far this school year.
“Those four days are sacred,” said Rita Sablan, the Public School System’s Education Commissioner.
Earlier this month, classes were cancelled for two days as police were investigating the murder of security guard Efren L. Ballesteros. In September, Gov. Benigno Fitial signed a state of disaster emergency for four schools—MHS, Kagman Elementary School, Koblerville Elementary School, and Oleai Head Start—because water quality tests results had not come back in time. Each of the schools was closed for two days.
Schools are required to provide 180 days of instruction, and with those absent days the schools will not meet that requirement, Sablan said, adding that principals and teachers are aware they need to be made up.
In October, Sablan disclosed to the Board of Education that delaying the start date for the four schools cost the system more than $13,000.
Fitial had asked the Department of Public Health to form a task force to check the preparedness of the schools in light of the island’s blackouts at the time. DEQ tested the water at all schools, but tests for the four schools were not back in time for the Sept. 8 opening.
Fitial informed Sablan and the Board of Education about his executive decision to postpone the opening on the night of Sept. 7.
Because the school district was not informed about Fitial’s decision until the night before, food vendors continued to prepare meals, Sablan said. Vendors must be given 24 hours notice in order to cease preparation. The meals cost the district more than $6,000
PSS also had to pay personnel $7,000 for the work they performed during the two days they were preparing for the water tests, Sablan said. Personnel worked on Sept. 6 and 7, a Saturday and Sunday, trying to prepare the schools for the tests.
