$1.7M in PSS operational budget remains unused

With four months to the end of Fiscal Year 2009, the Public School System disclosed that approximately $1.7 million has yet been expended by some schools for their operations.

Financial officers of the system bared during Thursday’s special meeting of the Board of Education that most of the 20 public schools throughout the three islands have yet to touch their operational budget provided under local appropriation.

PSS was budgeted a total of $34.2 million for FY 2009, of which $28 million was allocated for personnel; $3 million for utilities; and $3 million for all others and school operations.

This translates to only about $1.3 million expended by the system in its operational budget since the beginning of fiscal year in October 2008.

PSS federal programs officer Tim Thornburgh reported during the special meeting that schools that have yet to get their share of the operations budget were given three months to use it.

The operational budget is used to buy students’ toiletries and supplies, fuel for vans, drinking water, and other immediate needs. It is provided to individual schools based on student population.

The “unused” operational budget is being eyed for reprogramming to other schools that badly need the funds. It was also proposed that a portion could be used in rewarding performing public schools.

Among the schools that have a significant amount of unused operations funds include Marianas High School, which still has $106,000; Hopwood Junior High, $101,000; and San Vicente Elementary, $94,000.

The rest of the “unused” funds are spread out among other schools.

PSS anticipates a shortfall of $388,000 through September in its personnel account after local appropriation provided only $28 million to pay for the salaries of nearly a thousand employees. The system also projects to incur a deficit of $11 million for the Retirement Fund by the end of FY 2009.

During the board’s deliberation, chairwoman Lucy Blanco Maratita expressed surprised upon learning of the “unused” funds.

“Why it is still sitting there?” she asked the board and PSS officials.

Vice chair Herman T. Guerrero said this may indicate that some schools don’t need the money.

“Do they really need the money? If not…we can use it for other schools that badly need help or maybe we can use some portion of it to reward our performing schools,” he said.

School administrators interviewed by Saipan Tribune said they are reserving their operational funds for the opening of the new school year in August.

Most of them said the amount will be used to buy additional desks, tables, and other materials for the opening of classes.

Others said they are waiting for additional funding from other sources to be able to use the operational budget for purposes such as renovations and repairs.