Public education benefits from IPI contributions

The funds used to buy one of the largest tranche of instructional materials for the Commonwealth’s public schools was sourced from the economic contributions of Imperial Pacific International.

For a non-revenue generating public education institution, the $5.54 million that the Public School System received from the contributions of Imperial Pacific is a huge investment.

It further augmented the school district’s goal to produce college-and-career ready graduates.

This is also timely for a school district that strives to continually keep up with the challenges of, among others, adequately funding programs and services, burgeoning student population, and the need to hire and retain classroom teachers, staff and personnel, to name a few.

The $5.54 million was specifically used to acquire books in language arts, math, science and social studies for the CNMI’s public elementary, middle and high school students.

This acquisition was also the single largest investment made by PSS using local funds.

The funding was particularly sourced from the business gross revenue tax paid by Imperial Pacific for calendar year 2016.

Last year, the central government identified $47 million in additional revenues that were available for earmarking. It became the first budget supplement for the CNMI government in nearly a decade.

In all, PSS received $10.241 million from the first supplemental budget. This represents 22-percent of the total $47 million that were identified as additional resources by the central government.

The $5.54 million for primary instructional materials is 54.11 percent of PSS’ share of the government’s first budget supplement.

How it was invested

For this year, a second budget supplement is expected soon—and will be generated from the same source: fees and taxes paid by Imperial Pacific International.

The school district will tap into this second cycle of additional revenue to fund and support the operation, programs/initiatives and services of the PSS.

PSS, as the largest government instrumentality, serves over 10,000 students in 20 campuses on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. It also manages 10 Head Start and Early Head Start centers spread throughout the islands.

PSS also employs close to 1,000 staff and personnel, including teachers and counselors.

Meanwhile, when PSS received its first budget supplement from Imperial Pacific’s fees and taxes, the money went immediately to seven critical areas and programs that were in dire need of funding support.

That allowed PSS to maintain its level of services for all of public education stakeholders on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

Along with the $5.541 million, a separate $2.7 million was used to pay for PSS’ balance owed the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

Another $100,000 was used to pay for the outstanding balance owed meal vendors, $100,000 for school repairs and maintenance, and $300,000 that was equally divided betwwen Rota’s Sinapalo Elementary School and Dr. Rita Inos Jr. Sr. High School. The latter was for operation, furniture and fixtures, and repair of benches and facilities.

A total of $500,000 was for Tinian public schools’ perimeter fence replacement and other repairs at the Tinian Elementary School and Jr. Sr. High School.

A separate $1 million from Imperial Pacific’s economic contributions was used to buy five school buses. The purchase augmented the free transportation service PSS provides its students.

With the increasing cost of providing quality free education, the central government will continue to look toward opportunities that will support the needs of its populace.

Imperial Pacific, the Hong Kong-based investment giant, meanwhile remains committed toward the economic revival of the islands.