Sablan submits report to board; discussion ‘on-hold’

Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan has already submitted a report related to the Board of Education’s findings that some non-certified personnel of the Public School System improperly cashed out their annual leave in violation of system and board policies, according to board chair Marylou S. Ada.

Ada refused, however, to disclose the content of Sablan’s report pending the review of legal counsel George Hasselback, who is currently on leave.

In a letter to Sablan last month, Ada instructed the commissioner to inform employees who have received the improper payments to return the money or resign from the system if they refuse to do so.

Sablan was given until Jan. 9 to submit a written report that will include the names of each employee who has been given an improper payout and how each of these employees will recompense PSS.

“Yes, the commissioner did submit her report on a timely basis and we’re going to review it whether what she submitted is everything that we required. If not, we will ask her to be more detailed and specifically, to follow our request as much as possible,” Ada told Saipan Tribune.

According to Ada, Hasselback is the counsel specifically working with the board on this matter. As such, the board cannot comment on the issue until he returns from his leave. “[George] will be onboard until Feb. 25th and then moving up to OPA [Office of Public Auditor],” she said. The board has another legal counsel, Kelly Butcher, who had also just returned from a personal leave.

Ada said the board has not discussed Sablan’s report since receiving it. “We need to sit down with our legal counsel to try to see if everything has been addressed by the commissioner. From there on, we’re going ask the COE to elaborate and expand on the specific concerns,” she added.

Sablan, during Thursday’s board meeting, also declined to comment but confirmed submitting it to the board.

The board had determined in December that some non-certified system employees improperly cashed out their annual leave and directed these employees to return the money, following review that the act is a violation of board policy.

There has been no decision and findings yet on the allegations that some certified personnel of the system also improperly cashed out their benefit, including the commissioner herself. Investigation on this matter is still ongoing, according to the board.