The commissioner made the statement after reports came out that classes would be delayed anew.
The Board of Education apparently made the decision to move the regular opening of classes from August to September because it wanted to continue the same policy adopted last year.
“We are just following the school opening from the previous year,” said Sablan.
Before the BOE adopted the new schedule, regular classes were begin every August.
But problems happened last school-year prompting education officials to push the opening of classes for at least a month or from August to Sept.
A week before the opening of classes all Public School System principals, teachers and counselors will meet on the Reporting Day on Aug. 31, Sablan said and noted that the first week will be devoted to preparations and orientations.
As part of its preparation, PSS will meet with school principals to find out the increase on the number of enrollees for school year 2009-2010, she said.
“We are preparing ourselves in looking at the staffing pattern,” she said.
Sablan said principals have already submitted recommendations to hire classroom teachers, and fund will be taken from the Public School System’s share from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or the stimulus law.
PSS is now recruiting new teachers from Guam and the U.S. mainland.
“We anticipate new teachers that are being funded by ARRA,” she said.
About 118 positions are to be restored by PSS which will start work on Sept. 8.
PSS is expected to get $33.2 million in stimulus funds from the federal government on August, which will mainly be used to restore teachers and school counselor positions and to rehabilitate schools.
PSS has been allocated only $35 million for personnel and operation for FY 2009.
