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PSS may lay off staff if $50M budget is not approved
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Posted on Oct 02 2005
The Public School System may have no choice but retrench some of its employees if its proposed $50 million budget for the new fiscal year is not approved, according to a ranking PSS official.
Board of Education member Herman T. Guerrero made the statement during an interview with the media at the Governor’s Office Friday morning.
Guerrero, who had a brief meeting with Gov. Juan N. Babauta that day, said the PSS would continue to fight for an increase from its current $37.2 million budget.
He said the worst-case scenario if the budget is not approved, is for PSS to lay off some school staff, which most likely would come from ranks of teacher aides.
“There’s a repercussion if the same budget is given and not the $50 million,” he said.
Guerrero said teacher aides are equally essential to PSS especially those who work for the Special Education program of the schools. SPED instruction usually requires one-on-one interaction between teacher aides and students with disabilities.
The House last week approved the PSS’ $50 million request for the new fiscal year. It also appropriated $4 million for the CNMI Scholarship Office.
House Bill 14-371, which originally appropriates $50 million for PSS, was amended Thursday to include $4.2 million for scholarship. The bill is currently at the Senate for approval.
The title of the bill was amended to read: “To make a partial appropriation of $54.2 million for the PSS personnel and operation, the CNMI Scholarship Office, and to provide budget authority for fiscal year 2006 and for other purposes.”
“For the $50 million, we hope they act on it before the election,” Guerrero said.
As the previous fiscal year ended last Friday, it brought down with it the PSS’ additional funding request of $1.1 million for its “all others” expenses, he added.
