Kilili constantly consults the Board of Education and the PSS leadership to know the school system’s needs.
Since being sworn in as the CNMI’s first delegate to the U.S. Congress Kilili has secured millions of dollars in federal monies for PSS.
He said he will “fight to keep those education dollars in PSS hands.”
“The governors of all U.S. territories asked for complete control of those funds. But the delegates from the territories pushed back against that grab. We made sure that the lion’s share of (the) State Fiscal Stabilization Funds — 81 percent — went to education in the territories, the same percentage as in (all of the other) states,” Kilili said.
The $36 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was a “once-in-a- lifetime opportunity” that PSS received through the congressman’s help. The funds are now being used to renovate classrooms, provide laptops computers to all junior and senior high schools and retain keep the employment of close to 100 PSS teachers
“And we had to fight to make sure our CNMI government keeps its maintenance of effort agreement with the federal government so PSS would not have to pay back any of the stabilization funds,” Kilili said.
Board of Education Chairwoman Lucia Blanco-Maratita said Kilili has been “responsive” to the needs of public schools and its students.
“For what you have done to our schools and our students, we have found a friend up there. You have been very responsive and accessible. And thank you very much on behalf of everybody,” Blanco-Maratita said.
Associate Commissioner for Instructional Services Jackie A. Quitugua separately said: “Thank you for doing a great job.”
