THE Department of Finance has so far transferred a total of $9.7 million to the Public School System, Education Commissioner Alfred B. Ada reported to the Board of Education on Thursday.
The initial summary report indicated that a total of $8.4 million had been transferred to PSS, but Ada said the school system received an additional $1.3 million from Finance on Wednesday for a total of $9.7 million.
For fiscal year 2022, which ends on Sept. 30, 2022, PSS was allotted $25 million in local funds.
Ada’s report covers the period from October 2021 to March 2022.
For the first (October to December 2021) and second quarters (January to March 2022) of FY 2022, PSS still has to receive $2.8 million from the central government.
The rest of the school system’s FY 2022 budget amounting to $12.5 million is expected to be transferred to PSS by Finance from April to October 2022.
As for the schools, they have been “behind” in their spendings, PSS Financial Director Arlene Lizama told the board.
There are 10 public elementary schools, four middle schools, two junior/senior high schools, three high schools and one academy in the CNMI.
The report on local funds for schools indicates that they were budgeted a total of $12.2 million for the fiscal year.
Of the amount, $10.2 million was allotted for personnel and $1.9 million for “all others.”
Since two quarters of the fiscal year have already passed, the schools should have spent half of their “all others” budget by now, Lizama said.
To date, the summary report stated, the schools’ total expenditures and encumbrances amounted to $735,542.
