PSS works on OPA recommendations

The Public School System has directed the Marianas High School, the PSS legal counsel and key personnel to begin addressing the recommendations by the Office of Public Auditor in connection with the alleged mismanagement of MHS Food Court.

OPA this month released a report tasking PSS to immediately look into the possible involvement of the MHS administration in the alleged irregularities on the purchase of supplies and services using a special trust fund.

Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos expressed yesterday optimism PSS will “mediate its differences” with OPA, after she dismissed allegations of any “wrongdoing” in so far as program funds for the Food Court are concerned.

“The money we invested in the program was meant at encouraging more students to participate in PSS’ nutritional activities,” said Dr. Inos.

The commissioner has described the program as an “innovative idea” that should be introduced to other schools considering that other educational institutions are hosts to students of various ethnic backgrounds. Under this set-up, students will have a wide range of choices that will suit their cultural diet and food preferences.

A product of PSS’ ingenuity, Dr. Inos said PSS’ cafeteria-serviced breakfast and lunch was launched to provide students healthy meals in school and save them the trip home during lunch breaks.

“This is good for students in that it lessens the probability of them getting involved in certain accidents when they go home during lunch hour. And it also eases absenteeism because sometimes when they go home, they fail to return to school to attend their classes,” said Dr. Inos.

Though admitting that the PSS-initiated program is not perfect, the commissioner assured local funds earmarked for the project has been spent appropriately.

“We plan, implement and execute. And we improve as we go along,” she said.

Former Public Auditor Leo Lamotte had urged Dr. Inos to seriously consider the enforcement of employment sanctions against the custodian of the MHS Food Court, a locally-established food service program, for violating ethics provision of the system’s procurement rules.

In the report, OPA said monies collected from the operation of the MHS Food Court in 1998-1999 were used exclusively to benefit the public high school.

Since this is in violation of the Planning and Budgeting Act and the policies adopted by the Board of Education, OPA recommended that the PSS legal counsel determine whether the principal and the MHS Food Court custodian could be held liable.

OPA said some $206,677 worth of goods and services were purchased by MHS using the food court trust fund without going through the competitive bidding process.

Of this amount, $8,000 were made in violation of a provision in the PSS Procurement Regulations relating to conflicts of interest, the report said. Moreover, OPA said $1,172 worth of fees collected from the Food Court operations were missing based on available records.