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School re-opening in December?
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Posted on Apr 24 2020
The Public School System is looking at resuming classes in schools this December.
In an email from Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Ada that was sent out to PSS staff, he said the PSS administration is in the planning stages of moving forward with the next school year.
Public and private schools typically open for the school year around August and September, but PSS is looking at a later time, around October to December. Classes in public schools were suspended in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ada said that there are three plans that have been put on the table, one of which is re-opening schools later than usual.
With the uncertainty of how long the COVID-19 pandemic will last, Plan A involves delaying the opening of the school year. Plan B, which is dependent on PSS receiving a budget of at least $19 million, would be four-day school weeks, half days, and five-hour pays for teachers, merging schools, and shifting as many courses online as possible.
“[We’re] still trying to figure this out with the federally funded instructors/employees. We might lose Title 1 teachers,” Ada said.
Plan C, which is dependent on PSS receiving a $36-million to $40-million budget, is opening schools on time and following last school year’s schedule.
“Re-imagine how schools will look like if there is still no vaccine but schools have to open,” Ada said.
Ultimately, Ada said, public education must continue in the CNMI and the PSS administration has been brainstorming ways to move forward in light of the impact COVID-19 has had on the CNMI.
“Bottom line, learning must continue. These are thoughts, ideas, brainstorming,” he said.
In a previous interview with Ada, PSS was informed by the Department of Finance that they should expect to receive a budget of $19 million to about $21 million next fiscal year.
