The SFSF continues to make a tremendous impact for both the Public School System and Northern Marianas College especially in the areas of job creation/retention and infrastructure. PSS this quarter through the educational jobs fund was able to retain 798 school-based jobs including teachers, teacher aides, principals, counselors, and school support staff. PSS was also able to hire 92 new teachers and counselors as well as an A&E firm which helped to finalize 40 repair, renovation, and modernization projects.
NMC was able to retain 12 ARRA funded positions this quarter while creating five new positions. NMC has also been able to put out one request for proposal along with four invitations to bid for projects that will provide for new surveillance cameras improving campus security and replacing the current campus computers improving campus technology.
CNMI ARRA state lead Michael J. Ada stated: “I am pleased with the cooperative efforts between my office, the Public School System, and Northern Marianas College in ensuring that these funds are expended in the most expedient manner possible and in accordance with all the terms and conditions of the grant.”
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial was elated to note the tremendous progress indicated in the latest report and looks ahead to continuing the trend of maximizing these types of funds that are made available to the territories.
“All these positive changes could not be made possible without the hard work of the CNMI ARRA office, PSS, NMC, the Department of Finance, and the executive branch. The commitment demonstrated by all these agencies validates the importance of education to our local community. Although we have seen positive change, we still have a lot of work ahead of us,” Fitial noted.
Amid the unprecedented economic hardship facing the local community, the $44.3M provided by the SFSF has gone a long way to not only stabilize PSS and NMC, but it has enabled both institutions to make advancements toward the future. The recent awarding of 1,500 laptops to the PSS middle school and secondary students has helped to bridge the gap between the students in our remote location with information and technology which previously was not readily available. NMC will also see a boost in its technology infrastructure with the awarding of its current invitation to bid for computer replacements.
