Ituau Malosi Representative Vaiaitu Mulinu’u Filo Maluia is requesting funding for the construction of a gymnasium for Nu’uuli Vocational Technical High School, the only public high school without a gym.
The request was made to the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Fiu Saelua who testified in before the joint budget committee along with the Director of Special Programs, Jerome Ielome.
Senator Magalei Logovii noted that the administration proposed half a million dollars for a high school gymnasium in the budget for FY2016 and its requesting the same funding for a new gymnasium for FY2017.
Magalei asked Fiu if a gymnasium has been constructed and completed with the funding that was approved for this fiscal year.
Fiu said yes.
The Chief of Staff explained that renovation of Leone High School’s gymnasium is almost completed.
Asked if the half a million was all spent on the Leone High School gymnasium, Fiu responded that some of the funds was used to improve gyms in other schools.
Would the funding in the FY2017 budget include renovations for Tafuna High School?
Fiu said yes.
Meanwhile, Representative Maluia, a former teacher of Nu’uuli Voctech, requested that $300,000 from the funding allocated for a gymnasium, be set aside to construct a gymnasium for Nu’uuli Votech.
He said the trade school is suffering from not having a gym.
He told the leaders that every time he visits the school, the students call him a liar because they still don’t have a gym of their own,.
It’s the only high school that’s still utilizing Kanana Fou’s gymnasium for their graduation ceremonies.
Maluia remarked that while existing high school gyms have undergone a 3rd and 4th round of renovations Votech students are still waiting for their promised gym.
The governor;s budget for Special Programs for FY2017 totals $26 million a drop of $2 million from this year’s funding of $28 million.
A new item in the proposed budget is $1 million for payouts of directors and other political appointees.
Lawmakers didn’t give much scrutiny for the Special Programs budget.
Senate President Gaoteote Palaie acknowledged the administration for funding the Fono Fale Samoa.
