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Teachers may not receive summer pay
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Posted on May 28 2020
Teachers who were furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic may not receive their summer pay because it could conflict with federal aid.
In an interview with Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Ada, since furloughed personnel will remain furloughed until Aug. 1, there is a possibility that teachers may not receive their summer pay.
Ada said PSS is waiting on a legal opinion from the CNMI Department of Labor whether summer pay is considered income or not. If the summer pay is considered income, teachers who are owed that summer pay under their 190-day contract with PSS may not qualify for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.
If teachers receive PUA or FPUA and also receive their summer pay, Ada fears that it might be considered fraudulent activity.
Ada explained that if summer pay is considered income by DOL, teachers and staff will not qualify for PUA since summer pay is disbursed like regular payrolls throughout the summer break.
“We are awaiting the legal opinion from the Department of Labor because it’s summer pay. It’s money that’s supposed to go to the teachers but there’s a difference of opinion that it is considered an income wage. If we release the summer pay, it’s going to be considered income, even though that was owed to them according to their contract because they’re on a 190-day teaching contract,” he said.
According to Marianas High School teacher Jeremy Rother, most of the furloughed teachers are expecting unemployment benefits from PUA and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation programs and lifting the furlough would make them ineligible for this aid.
“If PSS employees remain on furlough, most of us can expect more money for the furlough period from unemployment assistance programs, and a more financially robust PSS going into next school year. If the furlough is lifted, PSS can expect less money for that same period and more financial uncertainty for PSS employees, students, and families we serve,” Rother said.
