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Kilili: $74.4M for Marianas education
$61.7M earmarked for PSS
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Posted on Jan 13 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The CNMI is getting another $74.4 million for education from the coronavirus relief measure enacted last Dec. 27, according to a statement from the office of Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) yesterday, who said the U.S. Department of Education announced the award yesterday.
The relief act sets aside $409 million for the four smaller U.S. insular areas, which was divided among them based on the formula in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Sablan revised that statutory formula in 2015 to be more favorable to the Marianas.
Of the $74.4 million for the Marianas, $61.7 million goes to the Public School System. This will “guarantee that all of our classroom teachers and support staff will not experience a single payless payday,” Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred B. Ada said when the relief act was passed.
The balance of $12.7 million goes to the governor to use for educational purposes. This distribution is the same as was used for CARES Act funding in 2020; and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres gave his entire share, $4.8 million, to Northern Marianas College.
This time around the total funding is substantially increased, however, so the governor could decide to provide more to PSS.
“With $102 million in federal funding in less than one year—over and above all the regularly appropriated annual federal education money for Title I and Special Education, et cetera—education in the Marianas has a solid foundation,” Sablan said,” even though the Commonwealth has been unable to meet its obligations because of the economic crisis caused by COVID.
“As chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, I look forward to working with the incoming Biden administration to make sure America’s teachers, students, and school systems have the resources needed to reopen and continue the learning the pandemic has interrupted.” (PR)
