PSS rallies community to back 25 pct. for education

The Public School System’s drive to pass House Legislative Initiative 18-12 was kick started before a crowd of principals, teachers, and students on Friday outside the Commonwealth’s Board of Education building in Susupe.

Two students unveiled a banner reading “Vote Yes On 18-12: Students First!” to applause from the crowd.

The Legislature unanimously passed the initiative this month to amend the CNMI Constitution and increase PSS’ share of the annual government budget from 15 percent to 25 percent.

Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan said she received a flood of texts from senators and supporters on July 10, telling her of the Senate passing the initiative.

While she asked the crowd to thank their lawmakers, she also pushed the crowd to take the initiative to “the next level” by getting the community at large to vote yes on the initiative in November.

“We’re going to need your help, principals, vice principals, teachers, counselors students, parents, and all of our partners,” Sablan said.

The commissioner spoke of “four big things” that PSS would like to see established if their budget were to increase.

First, Sablan said, PSS would like to expand the early childhood education program, calling it a “critical stage” in a student’s overall success. Second, Sablan said class sizes would ideally be reduced from 30 to 25. The final two improvements are coming to classes fully equipped with necessary supplies and a revamped and modernized public school buildings befitting the 21st century.

While Sablan thanked legislators and encouraged community support, Board of Education chair Herman Guerrero challenged the Legislature to continue to push for a better education for the children of the Commonwealth and the generations to come.

“This initiative is increasing the minimum that the public school is guaranteed. The Constitution currently sets it at 15 percent. Now we’re elevating it to 25 percent. There are certain mentalities sometimes with legislators that they are only bound to make the minimum and that’s not true, [the minimum] is just to make sure that it doesn’t fall below that level.”

Guerrero said if budgets are set at the minimum it is very hard for the system to operate but, with more funds, much more improvement in education can be provided.

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee prefiled fiscal year 2015’s budget with an allocation of $32.27 million for PSS. This after the board and PSS asked for a median “$36 million” between Gove. Eloy S. Inos’ proposed $32 million budget and their initial endorsed budget of $40 million.

“We need to start looking in terms of what education is going to be like in 20 years, 30 years from now,” Guerrero said.

Of the “four big things” Sablan wants for PSS, Guerrero claims the Legislature asked PSS and the board which one is the highest priority and which ones could be taken out.

“I’m not going to answer that question because each one of them is an intricate part of the overall picture of education,” Guerrero said. “You cannot reduce class sizes in our schools if you don’t even have enough classrooms.”