This was discussed during Wednesday’s BOE fiscal and personnel committee meeting.
BOE Vice Chairman Herman T. Guerrero said they have to continue providing free education to the commonwealth children despite the limited funding from the local government.
PSS, which has 10,369 students from kindergarten to 12th grade, currently has a $35 million budget.
PSS acting finance director Lori Grizzard said the school system is anticipating a $2 million shortfall in the “all others” account this fiscal year.
She explained that the school system’s actual current budget amounts to $34.7 million once the 1 percent fee to the Office of the Public Auditor is deducted.
Moreover, she said, personnel cost is allocated only $29 million which is $1 million less than the school system’s estimate.
PSS also owes the Retirement Fund $7.3 million and the Commonwealth Utilities Corp $1.5 million.
Both items are not funded by the school system’s current budget.
Instructions in the classrooms take place five days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at all 20 public schools.
According to Guerrero, “Some states are also advocating this [one-day shutdown]…and we may have to look at the advantages and disadvantages of this measure.”
The weekly one-day shutdowns will generate some savings in terms of fuel, food, power and instructional hours for teachers, he said.
“We really need to immediately act and identify short-term solutions,” Guerrero added.
BOE Chairwoman Lucy Blanco-Maratita on Wednesday instructed Commissioner of Education Rita A. Sablan to come up with a detailed financial master plan for PSS to prevent more problems in the long run.
“We need to come up with a financial master plan that is forward looking and would give us innovative ideas,” Blanco-Maratita told the board.
If its financial problems worsen, PSS may have to shut down its kindergarten, Advance Development Institute, Head Start and early intervention services.
PSS is not mandated to provide these programs.
