Some $1.5 million slashed from NMC’s budget

The Fitial administration has slashed some $1.5 million from the budget of the Northern Marianas College for the current fiscal year, despite the pleas of college officials.

BOR chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds confirmed yesterday that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial had ruefully told them that, due to the economic difficulty, the local government has no option but to cut an estimated $1.5 million from the college’s continuing resolution budget level of $8,046,839.

Hinds, together with NMC president Tony V. Deleon Guerrero and other NMC officials, trooped to the Governor’s Office on Friday, right after Fitial’s weekly news briefing. She said the group had to meet with the governor to find out once and for all the college’s financial standing.

The governor had told the group that there are other government agencies and offices such as the Public School System that also need additional assistance, thus the budget allocation must be carefully and comprehensively spread out.

The BOR chair said the board had decided not to comment on the government’s decision yet. She said the BOR would meet next Wednesday and would discuss alternative actions with regard to the new budget allocation.

“It’s tough,” said Hinds, adding that it’s been very hard for the board, especially since several projects would have to be reconsidered in terms of funding.

She said it’s not the first time the college had to undergo such a financial upheaval. She said they have been seeking the Senate’s help as well for supplemental funding before.

Deleon Guerrero had twice asked the Executive and Legislative branches last month to maintain the college’s current budget, reminding them of the school’s financial needs.

In his letters, Deleon Guerrero said he was hoping that lawmakers and the government would support NMC’s FY 2006 budget request and keep its funding at the continuing resolution level of $8,046,839.

He had asked them to support the budgetary needs of the college so that it could “effectively meet its constitutionally mandated mission and continue to be a valuable community resource center for the CNMI.”

Deleon Guerrero had said that cutting the college’s budget would result in “negative repercussions on our educational programs, services, students, employee morale, and accreditation.”

“In considering the ramifications of such a reduction, we ask that the administration and members of the 15th CNMI Legislature also be mindful of NMC’s problems in meeting its required mandate at funding levels authorized under continuing resolution over the past two fiscal years,” he said.

In each of those two fiscal years, NMC had no choice but to request additional funds toward the end of those periods. Deleon Guerrero recalled that in FY 2004, a supplemental budget of $438,000 was approved, and in FY 2005, an additional $518,000 was also authorized to address the personnel costs for the college’s nursing program and for offering summer classes.

This year is a “very critical year” for the college, said Deleon Guerrero, because it is currently completing an institutional self-study program in preparation for the comprehensive site visit by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in October.

NMC told the lawmakers that maintaining financial stability and acquiring the needed fiscal resources are critically important for NMC to effectively support student learning and to meet its broad educational goals.