THE 16TH Board of Education will hold its last meeting today, Wednesday, Dec. 16.
BOE member Andrew Orsini said they will recognize outgoing members, Janice Tenorio and MaryLou Ada, for their service.
Janice Tenorio
When their terms end in January, Ada will have served the board for a total of 13 years; Tenorio, eight years. Under the CNMI Constitution, they can no longer seek another term on the BOE.
“We want to thank them for the many years of service and dedication,” Orsini said. “They have given their all to the Public School System, and I appreciate the friendship we have established on the board.”
Orsini also expressed appreciation to former BOE teacher representative Paul Miura and former BOE member Philip Mendiola-Long for their service as well. Miura’s term has ended while Mendiola-Long has resigned.
The special board meeting on Wednesday will also announce whether the BOE will retain or terminate Dr. Alfred Ada’s services as education commissioner.
On Dec. 9, the board completed its performance evaluation of Ada who has a four-year contract.
As for the BOE, Orsini, who assumed office in January 2019, said it has done “pretty good.”
“Considering all the challenges and obstacles we as a board had to endure, we very much survived in following through the mission of continually educating the children of the CNMI,” Orsini said.
“This is because of the collaborative efforts of the key management, principals, vice principals, teachers, support staff and the parents and the PTSA.”
Ten of the 20 CNMI public schools were severely damaged by Super Typhoon Yutu, which slammed into Saipan and Tinian in October 2018.
The typhoon also caused an economic downturn resulting in across-the-board government budget cuts that included PSS.
In June 2019, the BOE declared a fiscal state of emergency for PSS, which could no longer meet the $1.4 million biweekly payroll of its employees.
PSS had to reduce by 50% the salary increase it earlier implemented.
It also had to further reduce the salary of its employees when the Covid-19 global pandemic shut down the tourism-based economy of the CNMI.
As approved by the board, PSS implemented austerity measures, which included a four-day work week.
PSS also furloughed its more than 700 locally funded employees.
In May, PSS was awarded $23 million in Education Stabilization Fund through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy Security or CARES Act.
Federal assistance helped PSS stay afloat in fiscal year 2020, and will also fund the school operations for school year 2020-2021.
It was also the 16th BOE, by a vote of 3 to 2, that approved the filing of a lawsuit against the administration over the PSS budget.
But recently, the BOE agreed to work with the administration and the Legislature to ensure that PSS will receive its constitutionally guaranteed budget. PSS has withdrawn the lawsuit.
