FAS students enrollment in PSS declines

The Public School System has recorded a major drop in the number of students from the Freely Associated States who enrolled in government-run educational institutions in the School Year 1999-2000, apparently alleviating pressures on depleting public coffers.

Government officials said expenses incurred by the CNMI in hosting citizens of the Freely Associated States under the Compact of Free Association is putting more pressure on the Commonwealth’s budget deficit problems.

In a previous interview, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio said the migration of people from the Compact countries — Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau and Marshall Islands — to the islands put a heavy burden on the CNMI government.

Figures obtained from PSS noted that the number of FAS students who entered CNMI public schools dropped by an average of 12.6 percent, with the decline reported in all ethnic groups except for Marshallese and Yapese students.

There had been a 6.59 percent reduction in enrollees from Chuuk, totaling 336 in SY-2000 from the previous school year’s 349. CNMI public schools also witnessed a 21.09 percent reduction in the number of Palauan students from 441 to 348.

PSS is currently subsidizing 150 students from Pohnpei which is down by 23.86 percent from the previous school year’s 197, while Yapese enrollees remain at 58 students.

Only student population from Marshall Islands registered growth of 11.9 percent from 42 in SY-1999 to 47 this year.

In SY-1997, more than 1,000 students from the Compact countries were enrolled in CNMI public schools, outnumbering Carolinian students who total only 974 during the same period.

The Commonwealth currently pays for the education and health service costs of citizens from the three Micronesian states who come to Saipan to live and work.

The Compact of Free Association between the US and the Freely Associated States has caused the CNMI government nearly $24 million in subsidies extended to citizens of the three Micronesian countries who have migrated to the Northern Marianas.

Extension of health and other social services to citizens of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau cost the CNMI $12.8 million in 1997 and $11.9 million in 1998.

Estimated compact impact, according to the last report made by the Commonwealth government in 1997, was $7.5 million. No impact assessment was made in 1998.

Under the Compact of the Free Association, residents from Pohnpei, Yap, Chuuk, Palau and Marshall Islands can migrate to US island-territories like Guam and the CNMI, as well as to the State of Hawaii without restrictions.

The agreement guarantees the provision of education, medical and other state benefits to the migrating Micronesians which will be shouldered by the local governments and will, in turn, reimbursed by the United States through Congressional appropriations.