DESPITE the challenges faced by the Public School System — super typhoons, Covid-19, and the local economic slowdown — it has “very impressively” delivered services to students and other stakeholders using federal dollars, according to a U.S. Department of Education senior risk consultant who visited Saipan last week.
Christine Jackson was on Saipan from Sept, 18-20. She is considered the “eyes and ears” of the USDOE in the territories.
For her recent Saipan visit, she looked into the issues of PSS stability, leadership, and the level of transparency and accountability in the use of federal grants.
Aside from PSS officials, she also met with officials of the Board of Education, Northern Marianas College, the Northern Marianas Technical Institute, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang.
In addition, she visited some of the school campuses on island.
In her exit conference with Interim Commissioner of Education Donna M. Flores on Sept. 20, Jackson said: “One thing that makes this visit different is the fact that it counteracts any false narratives about what is going on in the CNMI-PSS in terms of the leadership. Even though the leadership has changed recently, and there are new faces in the organization, it definitely was a way to confirm that things are still stable, if not even better, because of the caliber of staff who are working with the federal programs, finance area, procurement [and] everything that I have seen, and the people I have talked to have been able to be responsive. And everyone has an attitude of transparency, accountability, and integrity in everything that they are doing. And of course, the same singular goal that they are here for the students,” Jackson said.
Jackson added, “I am very pleased that we visited schools and talked to the staff. Things are definitely on par. There is no reason to think that things have gone backward. It definitely has dispelled any rumors about high risk being designated for the school system. I think they are definitely on track to continue to use the federal investment effectively. I am really pleased.”
She said PSS “is not in a situation that it is coming back to a high risk [designation]. The federal funds are protected and being used, and there is no misuse. We couldn’t dispute anything. It really was refreshing to see this excitement.”
Jackson also praised PSS Federal Program Officer Jacqueline Che, Finance and Budget Director Arlene Lizama, and Internal Auditor Jolene Muna for “initiating strong financial management” within PSS.
“I do have confidence in the folks now in their respective positions. Especially the strong federal programs office finance, and procurement and internal auditor,” Jackson said.
Federal money
She said she was also very impressed with how PSS administers federal grants, including the American Rescue Plan Act funds and the Education Stabilization Fund, both totaling over $200 million. These grants were awarded to PSS “to help recover learning losses” during the Covid-19 pandemic that led to a global public health emergency.
The Education Stabilization Fund will terminate this year while the American Rescue Plan Act funds will all be spent by 2024.
Annually, PSS receives at least $30 million in other federal grants.
Jackson said based on her one-on-one interviews, actual visits and inspection of facilities, “absolutely, there is no question that the federal investment here has been maximized.”
She added, “There was no school that I visited where I question that the federal dollar is not being used for their intended program.”
She noted “the way they’re being used in technology, even the furniture, solar panels on school roofs, even despite the repairs that are still being made by FEMA, the school is still flourishing and continuing to focus on students being served. As I mentioned, it’s just refreshing to see the school staff who have been solely laser-focused on making sure they are doing what they can for the students and using the federal dollars to do that.”
Jackson visited Oleai Elementary School, Chacha Ocean View Middle School, Marianas High School and Hopwood Middle School.
Accountability
Jackson said PSS has “strong internal controls” and a “strong accountability system.”
At the PSS Finance Office, “you have Ms. Arlene [Lizama], who is at the helm. She is coming from the private sector [and] has that background and experience. I was very pleased to see that she has just hired a comptroller.”
Jackson added, “With her staff and the new leadership that she has on board, exactly what gives me the sense of comfort is to know that the financials…basically everything that they have to do to be accountable for federal and local dollars is being led by someone who understands the importance of accountability, and making sure that there are procedures that everyone follows and that includes procurement.”
PSS recently hired Natalia Sablan as its comptroller and Jolene Muna as internal auditor reporting directly to the BOE.
Jackson said it is “critical” that PSS-BOE has its internal auditor to provide independent internal accountability support for federal programs.
“Now that’s critical. In light of the fact that I didn’t expect to see an internal auditor on this trip because I thought that position was still vacant, I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that there is an internal auditor who reports to the board but who has also been working hand-in-hand with the finance, federal programs to develop and update any standard operating procedures,” Jackson said.
The internal auditor, she added, “has already drafted an internal audit workplan so that she can make sure that things are aboveboard, that there is internal control in place across the CNMI Public School System. I think that is going to be an asset to the system, and it is going to give us another comfort level that we have an internal audit function that will definitely become something that keeps us [away] from the cracks. I am happy to see that.”
