The economic downturn in the Northern Marianas amid the global coronavirus outbreak has led to the public school system cutting its school week to four days from April.
School books Photo: 123 RF
The Board of Education voted unanimously to cut school weeks to four days and PSS staff hours to just 64 hours.
That means, starting next month, staff and students would no longer go to school on Fridays.
Despite the four-day school week, PSS said the daily school schedule would remain the same.
The board said it was still expecting a $US2 million deficit for the fiscal year notwithstanding the austerity measures they were implementing.
CNMI Governor Ralph Torres this week wrote to US President Donald Trump asking for assistance, saying the near-complete reduction in flights from South Korea, following the loss of the Chinese tourism market, would result in the "unequivocal and complete collapse of the foundations of our private sector on the islands".
With the collapse of those drivers government revenue and services would soon struggle to remain operational, he said.