House advances school funding flexibility; emergency vote planned to keep NAP benefits whole
The House on Thursday approved a measure aimed at easing cash-flow pressure at the Public School System and set an emergency session for Friday to prevent a cut to November Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during the ongoing federal shutdown.
PSS moves to 64-hour workweek; no school Mondays starting Nov. 1 as FY2026 austerity begins
SAIPAN – In a memorandum released by PSS Commissioner of Education Lawrence F. Camacho, the Public School System announced it will shift to a 64-hour work schedule beginning Nov. 1, canceling all Monday classes and work until a revised FY2026 budget is approved. PSS has been operating since Oct. 1 under a $31.7 million local appropriation that Camacho described as insufficient to cover the real costs of operating 20 schools, serving more than 8,000 students, and employing nearly 1,500 staff. With a larger revision still under deliberation by the legislative and executive branches, the commissioner said the system must implement cost-cutting measures to stay within the set budget.
CNMI Seeks DoD No-Cost Labor for School Repairs; Public Can Comment Within 30 Days
SAIPAN — The CNMI Government plans to request no-cost labor assistance from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program, working through Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB-133), to complete little-to-no-cost minor repairs at Public School System (PSS) facilities across Saipan, according to the Bureau of Military Affairs. The initiative aims to accelerate basic upkeep and safety fixes while budgets remain tight.