By Trina A. San Agustin
Variety News Staff

EDUCATION Superintendent Luis Reyes will explain the hiring of 38 additional personnel at tomorrow’s meeting of the Guam Education Policy Board.
The board was scheduled to go into executive session during its meeting last night to discuss personnel matters but board chairman Peter Alexcis Ada cancelled the meeting.
The items on last night’s agenda were tabled for tomorrow’s regular board meeting at the Untalan Middle School library at 6 p.m.
On Feb. 14, members of the education board imposed a moratorium on GPSS employee promotions, according to Reyes.
“I, myself, have a self-imposed hiring freeze with some exceptions (for) those positions that need to be filled. Critical need positions include classroom teachers,” Reyes told Variety.
The number of individuals that Reyes was looking at hiring was 61. However, the GPSS personnel administrator informed Reyes that the number had been lowered to 38.
The 38 include 17 classroom teachers, 16 substitute teachers, four school aides, and one in an administrative position.
“The school aide positions are federally funded,” Reyes added. “As for the administrative position, he started his job on Feb. 12. The moratorium implemented by the board was effective Feb. 14.”
Reyes feels that the hiring of 16 substitute teachers falls under the “critical need” category as a janitor was reportedly acting as a substitute teacher for a class at F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School in Yigo two weeks ago.
“The vice chairman of the board, Joe S. San Agustin, told me that a janitor was in the classroom. I looked into it and found out from the school principal that the school aides were utilized that day and they were short of substitutes,” said Reyes.
Reyes told Variety that there are about 500 people on the list of qualified substitute teachers; however, they are not readily available.
“Some of them already have jobs. Some are looking for jobs. This is not a position that someone can count on to pay their bills. Even though there are 500 on the list, that list is not very reliable. That determined my need to hire them under the critical status (category),” Reyes added.
Since Government of Guam officials discovered that there was an expected $30 million cash shortfall for fiscal year 2007, some agencies implemented hiring and promotion freezes in an effort to save the government money.