REPRESENTATIVE Roman C. Benavente is trying to mediate between the two groups on the Board of Education.
The vice chair of the House Education Committee, Benavente said although he supports the intent of House Bill 23-20, which would allow a simple majority to constitute a quorum on the BOE, there is a good reason why current law requires a quorum of four members.
“It was to avoid political interference in any of the board’s decisions,” said Benavente, a former BOE chair himself.
He said he supports H.B. 23-20, which was introduced by Rep. Manny Castro, because of the BOE’s failure to organize after three scheduled meetings.
The law requires the board to elect a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer “during the regular January meeting of each year.”
But the first meeting set for Jan. 9, 2023, had to be rescheduled “for a variety of reasons.”
When the board convened on Feb. 1, 2023, it was not able to elect new officers because two members, Herman M. Atalig of Rota and Andrew L. Orsini of Saipan, walked out of the meeting.
The two wanted the board to hold a closed-door meeting but were outvoted 2 to 3.
When the board met again on Feb. 14, 2023, Orsini was off-island while Atalig was scheduled to go off-island. Because the board still had no quorum to elect a new set of officers, it had to adjourn again.
Benavente said before Castro introduced H.B. 23-20, he had been reaching out to the board members to bring them together and patch things up.
Before the next BOE meeting, which is set for March 23, Benavente said he will try to meet the board members in his office. “I’m going to mediate,” he added.
The three other elected members of the BOE, which sets policy for the Public School System, are Gregory P. Borja of Saipan, Antonio L. Borja of Tinian and Maisie B. Tenorio of Saipan.
Reps. Roman C. Benavente, seated, and Manny Castro in the House chamber on Monday.
