H.B. 17-22 will reduce the work hours, and pay, of government employees.
But PSS said the bill violates the maintenance of effort requirement of the American Recovery Reinvestement Act’s State
Fiscal Stabilization Fund and will put PSS and Northern Marianas College funds and grants at risk.
“The bill will hinder…PSS programs,” Board of Education Chairwoman Lucia Blanco-Maratita told the House members.
She said the bill will result in PSS losing $11.5 million in federal funds that are not yet distributed to the school
The over $24.1 million given to PSS that was used to finance the employment of 58 newly hired personnel came from the federal State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.
The federal grants also pay for the salaries of over 250 teachers, books, supplies and other educational materials of the 10,961 students enrolled in public schools, PSS said.
Education Commissioner Rita Sablan said the bill may cause PSS to lose its highly qualified teachers.
“We do not want to lose our highly qualified teachers because our students need them,” she said.
She noted that Tinian and Rota are currently having difficulties hiring teachers and personnel “because of their location.”
According to PSS, “The austerity holidays and upaid holidays would yield a total of just under 3 million dollars in saving to the government but there will be a net loss of $47.5 million in federal [PSS] funding and grants…. The inequity of this in a cost-benefit analysis is staggering.”
Heather Kennedy, executive director of the Law Revision Commission, said the House should consider that PSS is one of the government’s largest employers and “many employees, including teachers, will be very much affected by the austerity bill.”
PTA officers from different schools expressed concern about the quality of education their children will receive once the austerity holidays are implemented.
“Education must be our priority in these tough economic times,” Tinian Elementary School PTA president Ben Kioshi said.
“Please consider exempting PSS from austerity holidays because our children look forward to learning every day.”
The parents said “instead of learning, students will be left with nothing to do during austerity holidays.”
NMC accreditation
The bill may also affect the accreditation of NMC which is in a critical condition at present, its interim President Lorraine Cabrera said.
She said if the bill is passed, the employees of NMC, the college grant applications and its other programs will also be affected.
She urged the House not to pass the bill as she reminded lawmakers that the accrediting team of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges will be visiting NMC.
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