By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

THE financial problems of the cash-strapped Guam Public School System continue, this time with a number of public schools losing their janitorial services because of its failure to pay for these services.
Advance Management Inc. has suspended its janitorial services to GPSS for its non-payment of $124,000.
Among the affected schools are the island’s largest —Southern High School, Simon Sanchez High School, Untalan Middle School, Wettengel Elementary School, Marcial Sablan Elementary School, J.Q. San Miguel Elementary School, Pryce Elementary School, Upi Elementary School, Inarajan Middle School, and Jose L.G. Rios Middle School.
According to Advance Management Inc. president Monty McDowell, his company has no other recourse but to suspend services because without payment by GPSS, the company cannot pay the salaries of the janitorial staff assigned to GPSS schools.
Worse, if GPSS does not make payment soon, Advance Management will have to let its employees go, said McDowell. Affected would be about 40 of its employees.
“These employees have kids also going to public schools so it breaks our heart that we had to suspend services to GPSS and may ultimately have to let go of our employees,” McDowell said.
He added that the company had to encumber debt just to get the janitorial services going. But yesterday, the company decided to totally suspend service because it could no longer afford to incur more debt.
“GPSS gave no firm commitment that it would pay up. If they had said that payment would be forthcoming in a few days or may be a week, then we could have continued the service. But we cannot go on operating without GPSS giving us a firm date on when they could pay,” McDowell said
He added that he is not blaming GPSS for not paying up because he knows that GPSS gets its funding from the Department of Administration.
Last week, GPSS narrowly avoided having a “payless payday” because, according to school officials, the administration has not been allocating GPSS funding completely and on time.
The situation was alleviated only when the administration released $6 million last Friday to cover the GPSS payroll. But this is a point of contention as far as McDowell is concerned.
“Why do they have money for GPSS employees but not for us and the other vendors who provide services to GPSS? Our employees are taxpayers too and their children go to public schools, too. They should be given equal priority,” McDowell said.
He added that by not paying for janitorial services, the government is endangering the health of the island’s school children because affected schools will become dirty and unsanitary in a matter of days.