PSS hopes NMHC will review decision

The decision to disallow the Public School System from applying to the Community Development Block Grant because of its “non-compliance” in previous project requirements will have a “great impact” on the school district and the community.

Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan, who met last month with the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. corporate director Jesse Palacios, said she hopes that NMHC will review its decision.

“I hope that the CDBG fund, which is available for any community development, that the director will review his decision because I just don’t see the rationale with the decision that was made,” Sablan told Saipan Tribune.

“His decision to prevent us from submitting application to CDBG is certainly a concern to me. I know that many of the CDBG funds that we have used in the past for the school district is really to support the community,” she added.

Sablan said that the decision of the housing corporation will impact not only the schools especially because they take into consideration other community members when they apply for this grant.

“It will certainly have a great impact not just on the students but to the community as a whole as we find ways to improve the lives of children, and the lives of families in the island,” Sablan said.

“As we submit applications from the school district, it’s not just for the school district but the community as a whole. I hope that they see that kind of decision on how it’s going to impact children, youth, and families in this community,” she added.

CDBG funds are allocated to NMHC by the U.S. Department of Urban and Housing Development.

Last November, NMHC informed PSS that “due to the entity’s non-compliance with CDBG requirements with its previous projects,” they are disallowed from proposing to future CDBG and that the corporation will not accept any future CDBG funding applications from PSS “until further notice.”

This was due to the loss of MHS Building J collateral equipment, which was funded back in 2008. During an inventory check in 2010, NMHC was unable to find equipment such as laptops, desktops, projectors, and chairs that amount to $69,000.

NMHC reimbursed HUD the value of the missing equipment.

PSS was also cited for their failure to construct the Saipan Southern High School swimming pool funded in 2013.

Asked if they will pay NMHC for what they reimbursed HUD, Sablan said she doesn’t know if they are required.

“It’s in their books that there’s an amount that’s due for the cost of those equipment. But as far as the school is concerned, we believe otherwise,” Sablan said.

Sablan, however, said that they will be looking into locating the missing equipment.

“My effort is to make sure that we are responsible for finding, locating those. Certainly we have to do our best to look for those equipment,” Sablan said, “I’m sure that they might be in a storage somewhere.”