Several lawmakers were critical of Public Works Department for hiring additional personnel using the school maintenance fund, which is earmarked under the law and funded with one percent of the 5% excise tax, specifically for repair and maintenance of all public school buildings.

Lawmakers’ criticism were made known to Public Works director Faleosina Voigt during the DPW fiscal year 2016 budget hearing last week. The hearing comes three weeks after the local media reported that some ten public schools were in need of repairs before the new school year, which opened Aug. 24.

According to the budget document, the DOE maintenance division’s total budget stands at just over $1.48 million with a large majority of the budget (just over $1.4 million) for personnel costs. There are 89 employees for the division, which includes the 33 new employees. Additionally, there are five district coordinators with salaries of $40,000 for each individual. The coordinators oversee the five districts.

It was revealed during the hearing that among the new employees are bathroom monitors for schools, as well as tradesmen such as carpenters and electricians. Furthermore, the division uses bathroom monitors for repair jobs and other duties when schools is out.

For the separate budget item “School Repair”, there is a total of $1 million with $500,000 each for contractual services as well as materials and supplies, according to the budget document.

An additional $500,000 is allocated under FY 2016 Special Program — overseen by the Governor’s Office — that can be used for school maintenance, said Voigt.

Rep. Larry Sanitoa voiced his disappointment over adding 33 more people to the school maintenance division, saying that “it’s quite troubling to see this. Right now, I get complaint after complaint from schools due to the lack of supplies and materials that is delaying repairs.”

For example, Lupelele Elementary School need materials for school repairs, and there are no fans in some of the school buildings. “The list goes on and on. Again it looks to me that we keep hiring people and there’s absolutely no funding set aside for supplies,” he said. “I don’t know what other answer to give to teachers calling about lack of supplies for school maintenance.”

Sen. Magalei Logovi’i joined Sanitoa in voicing concerns over the use of funds to pay employees when the law is clear, the money is only for school maintenance.

Voigt explained that there is funding for materials under the budget item “school repair” and there is additional money provided under the Special Program budget category. She also said that with five districts, the plan is to have seven tradesmen — such as carpenters, plumbers and electricians — for each division, but not all districts have all of them at this point.

She pointed out that school maintenance is getting a huge financial assistance in the future from the US Interior Department’s Office of Insular Affairs program called ABC (or the Insular Assessment of Buildings and Classrooms) initiative, dealing with deferred maintenance of public schools, and DPW is looking at the program for support in getting materials.

And although the territory gets $1 million annually for school maintenance under the federal Capital Improvement Project (CIP) that is still not enough, she said.

House Speaker Savali Talavou Ale asked if Public Works has access to the $500,000 under Special Programs, and Voigt responded that her office works closely with the Governor’s Office when it comes to needs for school repairs in order to use this money. She also says the Governor’s Office processes requests for use of this money.

Savali pointed out that school maintenance funds receive an annual allocation of $1.5 million from one-percent of the 5% excise tax and the entire amount should go towards this fund. He asked why only $1 million is set aside for “school repairs” but not the entire $1.5 million.

ASG Budget Office director Catherine Saelua responded to the question, saying that it was the governor’s wish to set it up this way.

Savali informed Voigt that the Fono constantly receives complaints from school officials, parents and the community regarding the problems in their schools and lawmakers have to respond to these concerns.

The school maintenance program was transferred in November 2013 from the Education Department to DPW by the governor, who wanted DOE to concentrate on educating students and not worry about maintaining school buildings.

SPECIAL PROGRAM

For the $500,000 under the Special Program for school repair, it’s actually called the high school gym improvements program, which will help pay for improvement and repairs needed for high school gymnasiums, according to the budget documents.

According to the governor’s budget summary letter to Fono leaders, the money allocated in FY 2015 was used for major repairs and additional improvements to the Leone High School gym. Funded activities included the re-surfacing and elevated gym floor, construction of additional spaces to include bathrooms, and a multifunction stage inside, with a new canopy added along with other facelift repairs.

BACKGROUND

As previously reported by Samoa News the ABC Initiative — launched about five years ago — covers public schools in all territories when it comes to deferred maintenance, and the US Army Corps of Engineer has already conducted assessment of schools in the insular areas for OIA.

A note of interest was in June this year that OIA awarded $2.1 million in CIP money to the US Virgin Islands to repair public schools buildings as part of the ABC Initiative. Details of the program are found on: www.doi.gov/oia