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PSS to House panel: Give us median of $32M and $40M
Ways and Means chair says any additional fund for classroom teacher hiring
Board of Education and Public School System officials asked the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday to recommend giving PSS at least “$36 million,” which they said is the median between Gov. Eloy S. Inos’ proposed fiscal year 2015 budget of $32 million for PSS and BOE’s endorsed $40 million.
Rep. Tony Sablan (Ind-Saipan), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said at the end of the budget hearing that “any” upward adjustment to the governor’s proposed budget for PSS would be strictly for the hiring of 37 classroom teachers that education officials brought up at the hearing.
“The priority should be to reduce the teacher-student ratio, if there’s any upward adjustment in the PSS budget,” Sablan told Saipan Tribune. He cited, for example, the need to reduce Marianas High School’s 50:1 student-teacher ratio, as well as those of other schools.
The Ways and Means chairman said finding $4 million to add to the governor’s proposed for PSS is “tough,” so there is no guarantee that would be met in the 2015 budget bill.
He said the Legislature, just like the administration, has to prioritize funding for public health and safety, along with education and other social services, among other things.
Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan said they are “hopeful.” She and BOE chair Herman Guerrero led a team of education officials at the House committee budget hearing on Tuesday.
“I know that you can do better than what the governor has proposed,” the education commissioner told lawmakers, who took turns asking PSS and BOE officials about its current programs and plans.
Also in the budget hearing were Management and Budget director Virginia Villagomez and Finance Secretary Larrisa Larson.
Earlier, PSS’ Sablan told reporters she may ask BOE to declare a state of emergency for CNMI public schools “for us to really make sure we get the amount we need to adequately provide quality education.”
