Sens. Jude U. Hofschneider, Ronnie Calvo and Paul A. Manglona listen to the comments of education officials during the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee’s budget hearing on Tuesday in the Senate chamber.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
BOARD of Education member Andrew Orsini on Tuesday underscored the importance of education in the CNMI’s success.
During the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee budget hearing, Orsini, who chairs the education board’s fiscal, personnel, and administrative committee, told senators that any successful country must rely on three operational pillars to thrive: a strong healthcare system, excellent national security, and a high-quality education system.
“But in order for all three pillars to be strong, you must place highly educated and qualified individuals within those systems,” Orsini said. “When you think about it, education is the most important of these three operational pillars because only education can produce those capable and qualified individuals.”
Orsini requested at least $40 million to sustain PSS. “This is not just a number; this is an investment in the success, stability, and future of all our islands,” he said.
He noted that over the past several years, CNMI students’ reading and math assessment scores have risen significantly. “These assessments measure more than just academic achievement,” he said. “They show how well students are prepared for college, the workforce, and the military.”
He emphasized that this success is the result of years of planning, consistent effort, and the hard work of teachers, counselors, administrators, and staff.
“But let me be very direct. If funding is reduced, all of this progress will be lost. We will see school closures, loss of instructional time, and the departure of our most valuable educators and staff. Our accreditation will be in jeopardy,” Orsini said.
“All hope is lost for our island’s future,” he added, predicting that students’ reading and math scores would drop drastically. “The years it took to reach PSS’s current level will be erased, and even if the CNMI economy improves in the future, we will be forced to start from square one again. This will take considerable time.”
Orsini also reminded the senators that “education is the foundation that every other system rests upon. Without it, we lose our capacity to grow, protect, and sustain our Commonwealth.”
Present at the meeting were the committee chair, Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider, Senate Floor Leader Donald Manglona, Sens. Manny Gregory Castro, Paul A. Manglona, and Ronnie Calvo.
