Sablan said funds for education should “not be diverted to the discretion of the governor.”
He said he worked behind the scenes in the U.S. Congress “to make sure that the hefty investment in education in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act did not get side-tracked by the territorial governors.”
The Fitial administration, however, is determined to sign the austerity bill and not exempt PSS from it.
If PSS gets no exemption, it means a reduction in the instructional hours of teachers in the classrooms.
Sablan, who was the speaker during the Rotary Club meeting at the Hyatt Regency yesterday, said PSS and NMC get over $36 million in federal funding.
“That money is paying for teachers, for school renovations that will save on PSS energy bills, for laptops and other learning tools our kids need to be ready for this 21st century, global economy,” he said.
More opportunities
In Washington, D.C., he added, “my job has often been simply to ensure that the NMI is not left out or overlooked when legislation moves through Congress.”
He added, “The opportunities to build our educational system and improve the lives of our students are there for the taking. I intend to keep finding and creating those opportunities to ensure a prosperous future for the Northern Marianas and for the nation.”
Violation
PSS and the Board of Education have warned the Legislature that the proposed austerity measure reducing the workload of teachers and support staff violates certain rules of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan and BOE Chairwoman Lucia Blanco-Maratita told Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, that although the intent of the austerity measure is to alleviate the cash-strapped CNMI government’s financial crisis, it will have a detrimental impact on PSS and the community it serves.
House Bill 17-45, now pending in the Senate, will reduce government hours from 80 per payroll to 70.
According to the two education officials, the austerity measure will result in PSS losing $11.5 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Fund which is not yet distributed and over $17 million in FY 2011 education federal grants.
“Violation of the Maintenance of Effort, or MOE, requirement will also disqualify the PSS for $19 million in FY11 Jobs for Main Street Act funding. The Jobs for Main Street Act is a United States legislative package that provides essential resources to save and create education positions, spur much needed school construction and aid college students. In total, violation of the MOE would result in a net loss of $47.5 million for PSS,” Sablan and Maratita said.
The Senate Committee on Fiscal Affairs has set an April 13 public hearing for H.B. 17-45 at the Kagman Community Center starting at 6 p.m.
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