By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

EDUCATION Superintendent Luis Reyes yesterday opposed Gov. Felix P. Camacho’s proposal to take over the Guam Public School System’s financial management system, saying the education agency must keep its autonomy.
Smarting from the governor’s statement about GPSS’s “questionable expenditures,” Reyes said, “I have a different take on that.”
“We spend money based on what we receive. It’s not like we’re spending it for what’s not necessary,” Reyes said, emerging from a meeting with senators.
“We spend our money on payroll obligations, power, and other needs,” he said.
In his State of the Island Address Monday, Camacho rebuked GPSS for its “seeming disregard of the cash realities of the entire government,” and asked the Legislature to give him fund management authority over GPSS, whose financial affairs are under the control of the Guam Education Policy Board.
“We should be able to do our own audit. I don’t know how things will work out if the Department of Administration takes over—if that’s what the governor has suggested,” Reyes said.
Instead of the governor taking over GPSS, Reyes suggested that DOA and the education agency should share resources and information systems so that they can synchronize their figures.
Administration officials claim GPSS has been collecting cash amounts that exceed the budget law’s allotment. Education official say the administration has not been prompt in releasing funds to the agency.   
During a meeting with senators yesterday, Reyes said GPSS received $8.1 million in October 2006. However, he said, since the money was received during the month in between two fiscal years, it wasn’t clear if that allocation was covered by the 2006 or 2007 budget.
“There was an overlap and we need to clarify that. The question is whether that $8.1 million applies to the end of the fiscal year in September or the beginning of the fiscal year in October. This is what we’re trying to establish now. Obviously, we’re coming up with different numbers,” Reyes said.
Vice Speaker Eddie Calvo, R-Maite, earlier suggested that DOA and GPSS pool their information systems and reconcile their conflicting financial statements.
“DOA has an AF400 computer system and GPSS has the same system. I’ll sit down with (DOA director) Lou Perez on this matter. As Sen. Calvo said, it’s important that our computers are speaking the same language,” Reyes said.