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Legislature passes QZAB grant for PSS
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Posted on Oct 23 2005
Both chambers of the Legislature finally passed a resolution endorsing the Quality Zone Academy Bond grant application of the Public School System.
The endorsement was transmitted last week to the Office of the Governor for approval. House Joint Resolution 14-43 was adopted by the House of Representatives on Sept. 20, 2005 and passed the Senate eight days later on Sept. 28.
PSS developed the grant application in response to an allocation of funds provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Early in August, Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos announced to public schools that at least $389,000 and up to $511,000 will be given to PSS for the purchase of laptop computers and LCDs for schools.
Inos told elementary school principals last week that she had received a letter from Margaret Spellings of the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. in July reminding PSS that the extension of the Quality Zone Academy Bonds for 2003 allocation will expire through the end of this year.
“QZABs are bonds that the federal government subsidizes by allowing bondholders to receive tax credits that are approximately equal to the interest that states and communities would pay holders of taxable bonds,” said Spellings in her letter to Inos.
Inos said that PSS purchased laptops and LCDs for the CNMI’s secondary school teachers last year, using the consolidated grant funds.
“This year we have a new source of funds to support this technology initiative,” she said. She said this innovative instructional technology initiative is being implemented to enable elementary school teachers to conduct research, prepare innovative lessons and present them to their students using the latest technology.
