Previous Story
PSS allotment shortfall down to only $700,000
Budget allotments from the central government to the Public School System are slowly trickling in, with over $13 million in total transfers to date, according to PSS finance director Derek Sasamoto.
PSS is earmarked $33 million for the current fiscal, which the system supposedly gets through weekly allotments amounting to $616,000.
Sasamoto disclosed to Saipan Tribune that the Finance Department made its latest deposit of $1.2 million on March 4, bringing to over $13 million the total allotments PSS has received.
From the $2 million allotment shortfall owed as of Feb. 27, the delayed amount is now down to just over $700,000 inclusive of the $1.2 million transferred on Tuesday.
Prior to the March 4 deposit, Finance gave PSS $1.1 million on Feb. 20 and $300,000 on Feb. 27, Sasamoto said.
When asked how the system copes with the delayed allotments, Sasamoto explained that PSS holds back on its spending and prioritizes things that are absolutely necessary. He credited the schools as well for holding back on their operational needs.
“Yes, we purchase everything needed for curriculum and instruction, but we hold back on other [expenses] and monitor our cash flow,” he told Saipan Tribune.
During Tuesday’s board meeting, Sasamoto disclosed that of the $32.7 million budget for fiscal year 2014, there remains a balance of $21.7 million to be used until the end of the fiscal year in September. As of Feb. 18, PSS has already expended $10.9 million of its budget.
It was reported that of the $28.1 million budget for personnel, PSS has already spent $8.8 million as of Feb. 18, resulting in a balance of $19.2 million for the rest of the fiscal year.
For operations and all others—budgeted at $2.2 million—PSS has already spent about $1.3 million, leaving a balance of $884,499.
Expenses on utilities have so far reached $783,959 as of Feb. 18. The budget for this item is $2.3 million; the remaining balance is $1.5 million.
