PSS bosses object to decentralizing monetary powers

The heads of the Public School System have objected to a House measure that would allow school principals to determine their school year budgets.

In written comments submitted last week to the House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare, Board of Education chair Herman T. Guerrero and acting education commissioner Glenn Muña called House Bill 19-71 a violation of the CNMI Constitution and a limit on the implementation of board policy.

The education chiefs write that the bill’s goals—to improve student outcomes—will not be met by a decentralized budget.

“The commissioner of education is by law both the expenditure authority and the administrative head of the Public School System,” Muña and Guerrero wrote.

They note that the Constitution grants the power to create policy to the elected education board, and the power to administer this through the education commissioner.

“Any bill that would disturb these functions” violates the Constitution, they said.

Muña and Guerrero said the power to create and vote on budgets and budget policy is under the purview of the board and not the Legislature.

PSS believes the House bill would create three budgets to be submitted to the Legislature instead of two—one for the board, another for the commissioner, and a third one for each school individually.

PSS believes this would create a “political” climate where lawmakers would appropriate more money into schools of their district.

PSS says deferred maintenance, universal Kindergarten, new textbooks, and technology require a “bird’s eye view.”

“We understand what this bill is trying to accomplish. It means to create a system where individual principals—who know the particular needs of their schools—are empowered to act locally and effectively without interference. The idea is a good one. Many problems are school-level and can best be addressed by a principal, without the central office. However, this bill throws out the baby with the bathwater.” The bill creates a large problem by “stripping the board and commissioner of their constitutionally mandated roles,” Muña and Guerrero wrote.

The bill does not account for what decentralization would bring, PSS also said. PSS believes this would amount to “chaos,” when it comes to reprogramming money and would leave administration of public schools up to the Legislature.