Meeting with the senators were Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan, PSS federal programs coordinator Tim Thornbough, financial consultant Edward Tenorio and finance director Richard Waldo.
Sablan said the meeting reviewed again the budget for PSS.
She said funding for the federal “maintenance of effort,” or MOE, requirement is “fine,” but the $27 million that the House approved for PSS is not enough.
Sablan said they are asking the Senate for more funding.
“It is about providing the needs of public education,” she added.
She said they are asking for at least $31 million, which is their current funding level.
“We are looking at the needs of PSS to provide education to over 10,000 children. Our budget is for everything — personnel and operation,” she added.
“They are very supportive of the education,” she said, referring to the senators.
Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, said PSS needs enough funding so it can continue receiving federal grants.
“They have an MOE that requires a certain percentage of appropriation,” he added.
Losing federal assistance due to failure to meet the MOE, he said “is one thing that we are trying to ensure won’t happen.”
Reyes said there are other financial requirements that PSS wants to meet to ensure quality education for its students.
“That is something that I fully support. If we could find money that can be provided to PSS that can meet their request then, I will do that,” he added.
Reyes has proposed to “zero out” the lawmakers’ allocations and the leadership accounts of both houses in order to provide more funding to PSS and Northern Marianas College.
