The high prices of commodities, high power rates and workforce reduction in the private sector are some of the factors that will result in more students enrolling in public schools.
Last school year, 20 public schools accommodated over 11,700 students.
Reyes said because of limited funding, PSS will again deal with a shortage of teachers and overcrowding in many classrooms, particularly in Kagman and Garapan.
PSS has 515 classroom teachers of whom 65 percent are considered highly qualified.
In many schools, a teacher may have to take in 27 to 30 students, Reyes said.
The school system’s current budget is $35.2 million.
Since FY 2007, PSS has to pay for its own utilities which amount to $3 million every year.
