Board of Education Chairman Antonio L. Borja, Vice Chairman Herman Atalig, Secretary/Treasurer Gregory Pat Borja, Member Maisie B. Tenorio, Teacher Representative Dr. Dora Borja Miura, and Non-Public School Representative Dr. Ron Snyder meet in the cafeteria of Tinian Jr.-Sr. High School on Wednesday. Member Andrew Orsini attended virtually.
Non-Public School Representative Dr. Ronald Snyder, left, Board of Education Secretary/Treasurer Gregory Pat Borja, center, and legal counsel Michael Ernest, right, exchange ideas during a break from the BOE meeting.
THE Public School System’s School Year 2023-2024 will start on Tuesday, Aug. 22, Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada reported to the Board of Education during its meeting on Tinian Wednesday.
“My office has been working with all of our schools and stakeholders to ensure that we are ready to welcome returning and new students,” Ada told the BOE, the policy-making and governing body of PSS.
The school system has 20 campuses — 16 on Saipan and two each on Tinian and Rota.
In the new school year PSS is expected to receive up to 10,000 Head Start, Early Head Start, special education, early intervention, elementary, middle, and high school students.
“We are working to ensure that the operation of our schools will go on as scheduled,” Ada told the BOE. “Everything is set now. Our bell schedule, bus schedules and bus zoning are in place,” he added.
Other matters
The BOE also voted to designate two campuses at Tinian Jr.-Sr. High School: one for Tinian Middle School and the other for Tinian High School.
The creation of two campuses will have no cost to the school, PSS said.
At the same time, the PSS-Federal Programs Office lauded the PSS summer program, which was implemented by the PSS Career and Technical Education Program and funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
PSS Federal Programs Officer Jacqueline Che said the successful summer program included the nursing assistantship with the Guam Marianas Training Center; the Teacher Academy Program with Northern Marianas College; a short film project with NMC; a summer internship with the Saipan Chamber of Commerce; and a trades program with the Northern Marianas Technical Institute.
“I would like to commend Dr. [Jessica] Taylor [of the Career and Technical Education Program] and the PSS leadership for the great partnership with various stakeholders, resulting in very successful summer programs,” Che said.
The BOE also discussed several updates from each of its committee chairs regarding capital improvement projects, including the Rota and Tinian’s Office of Pupil Transportation facilities, and Rota’s Dr. Rita H. Inos Junior-Senior High School’s maintenance workstation.
The board likewise discussed the proposed wellness leave, federal and local funding, and the proposal to make the teacher representative to the BOE a voting member.
It was the first time that the BOE held a regular meeting on Tinian since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic over three years ago.
The BOE conducts meetings on all three main islands — Saipan, Tinian and Rota — to engage public education stakeholders regarding PSS initiatives and programs.
The board has five elected members: three from Saipan and one each from Tinian and Rota. It also has non-voting members who represent private schools, teachers and students.
The meeting on Tinian, which was held in the TJSHS cafeteria, was attended by BOE Chairman Antonio L. Borja of Tinian, Vice Chairman Herman Atalig of Rota, Secretary/Treasurer Gregory Pat Borja of Saipan, and Member Maisie B. Tenorio of Saipan with Member Andrew L. Orsini of Saipan participating virtually.
Also present were Teacher Representative Dr. Dora Borja Miura and Non-Public School Representative Dr. Ron Snyder.
Community support
During the meeting, board members expressed appreciation to the Tinian community for hosting the BOE.
“We truly appreciate that our parents and community understand the mission and share the vision of PSS, which is student success,” BOE Chairman Borja said. “With your continued support, we will do our best and continue our work in supporting PSS programs and initiatives,” he added.
“To [the Tinian community], thank you for inviting us here,” Vice Chairman Atalig said.
Former BOE Chair Lucy Blanco-Maratita of Tinian attended the meeting as a member of the public.
“I appreciate you all for coming to Tinian,” she told the board members. “The role of the BOE is vital and important to the public, that’s why it is important for us members of the public to know how our BOE works,” she added.
Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada, left, speaks during the Board of Education meeting on Tinian. Also in photo are legal counsel Michael Ernest, Public School System Finance and Budget Director Arlene Lizama, and Federal Programs Officer Jacqueline Che.
Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada and Public School System legal counsel Michael Ernest confer with some of the members of the Board of Education prior to the start of the regular meeting on Tinian Wednesday.
