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PSS gets funding in several key areas in proposed budget
Sitting with the Legislature right now is a proposed Public School System fiscal year 2016 budget less than what was requested but still higher than last year’s.
The Office of the Governor set a proposed allocation of $36,455,094 for PSS earlier this month. This is equivalent to 25 percent of total general fund resources guaranteed to PSS in the passing of House Legislative Initiative 18-12.
PSS had requested for $42 million. They were approved $34.33 million for this year.
In their budget submission for FY 2016, PSS requested $31.478 million for personnel, $3.94 million under “all others,” $260,000 in funding for two new buses; deferred maintenance costs at $1 million, outstanding utility debt at $3.7 million, $700,000 for classroom materials and instruction, $400,000 in debt service to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as $420,000 for the Office of the Public Auditor.
PSS would add 38 teaching positions and 41 non-teaching positions with their requested personnel budget, for an increase in 9.51 percent over this year’s personnel budget.
In Gov. Eloy S. Inos’ proposed budget, personnel cost is set at $29.987 million. In total with the State Board of Education, a proposed allocation sum of $29,127,832 for personnel is to satisfy the current actual salaries.
“No new positions were included” in the proposal, according to the governor, because PSS budget submission indicated “in excess of $2.3 million in unfilled vacancies.”
In outstanding utilities, the governor proposed $3.6 million compared to the requested $3.7 million.
For the two new buses, one each for Rota and Tinian, the governor proposed $254,000 to the PSS requested $260,000.
The governor also proposed $370,000 for fuel and lube for school bus repairs and maintenance.
For deferred maintenance for school facilities, the governor proposed some $3.103 million compared to the PSS requested DM cost of $1 million.
