The decision to open the next school year on Sept. 8 was made in light of the budgetary concerns of the Public School System.
PSS has moved the opening of classes, which used to start in August, to cut its power consumption, which remains an unbudgeted item in its annual budget appropriated by the CNMI government.
PSS expects to spend $3 million on its utilities. This fiscal year, it will again get a $35.4 million budget of which $33.1 million will pay for its personnel’s wages.
As of end of fiscal year 2008, PSS owed the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. $1.3 million.
BOE Chairwoman Lucy Blanco-Maratita told Variety yesterday that they may open classes in August two years from now.
“But we’ll need more discussions about it we need to evaluate benefits and hindrances,” she said.
During last week’s BOE meeting, Commissioner of Education Rita A. Sablan noted that the September opening of classes was reached after consultations with principals, teachers and the community at large.
The opening of classes in September, she added, gives teachers more time to obtain their degrees and complete their certification requirements during the summer.
“If [Northern Marianas College] gets back on track, its schedule of summer classes and courses will allow our teachers to complete them before the school opening,” Sablan said, adding that NMC normally has two phases for its summer courses.
Blanco-Maratita, during the meeting, said maintaining the September class opening will allow PSS employees to attend more professional development workshops.
“It’s an opportunity to build local capacity…and will help in the recruitment efforts of PSS,” she said.
PSS has 510 classroom teachers and is still hiring personnel to accommodate the staffing needs of its 20 schools.
