The U.S. Department of Education told the CNMI Public School System that its high-risk status will remain for some more time to ensure its consistent compliance with federal regulations.<\/p>\n
This was made clear by a team of USDE representatives during their one-day visit to Saipan last week, according to Board of Education chair Roman Benavente yesterday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will take a while before we get out of the list. They said that it can\u2019t be taken off easily even though we\u2019ve already complied. It takes time. They want to see consistency. It\u2019s sort of letting us be aware of our responsibility and the consequences of not complying in the first place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Benavente said that PSS\u2019 high-risk status was caused \u201cmore by negligence, not fraud or misconduct,\u201d unlike in other areas.<\/p>\n
Benavente said the meeting with the USDE team took about two hours last Thursday.<\/p>\n
The team members, composed of Tina Otter, Christine Jackson, Phil Maestri, Mark Robinson, and Todd Jones, made the side trip to Saipan last week from Guam. <\/p>\n
Benavente described the meeting as \u201copen,\u201d noting that the team members fully explained funding rules and grant requirements and how PSS can cope with the requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne positive thing I saw there was their willingness to have a dialogue with us. They want constant communication to avoid inconsistencies and problems in the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The PSS was designated as a high-risk grantee last year due to non-compliance with federal requirements. In particular, the USDE said the designation was made due to unresolved delays and gaps in PSS\u2019 submission of audit reports. <\/p>\n
It said that PSS failed to submit audited financial reports on time under the Single Audit Act for four consecutive years\u2014fiscal years 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.<\/p>\n
Aside from being late, the audits reportedly did not have appropriate information to meet the requirements of the Act. <\/p>\n
The department said that submission of late audits has a substantial negative impact on submitting high quality audits, while the submission of single audits past the statute of limitations circumvents the department\u2019s ability to recover costs that are questionable. <\/p>\n
PSS has acknowledged its late submission of audits to USDE, but it said everything had been corrected. <\/p>\n
Benavente, meantime, said the USDE assured PSS that it would continue to get funding and grants despite the status designation. Just recently, the PSS received nearly $10 million in federal funds that were formerly used under Title 5. <\/p>\n
The USDE has refused to allow PSS to use the funding under Title 6 rules because it \u201chas not demonstrated the effectiveness\u201d of Title 6\u2014rural and low-income school program\u2014in its implementation last year. <\/p>\n
PSS prefers to use the funding under Title 6 saying it gives greater flexibility to spend it based on local needs. <\/p>\n
Meantime, about $2 million of the Title 5 will be shared with some private schools in the CNMI, as granted by the USDE.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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