By Trina A. San Agustin
Variety News Staff

THE Guam Public School System is up-to-date with its utility bills as payments were made to the Guam Power Authority, the Guam Waterworks Authority, and GTA. The payment made for utility vendors totaled $1,106,409.69.
GPSS spokesperson Gerry Cruz said they paid their April billing for GWA totaling $7,786.08 and $998,623.52 for GPA early this month.
A payment of $100,000 was also made to GTA.
Other GPSS vendors have yet to receive payments. Cruz said the money paid to the utilities agencies was all they received and it was not known when the other vendors would receive payments from GPSS.
GPSS Superintendent Luis Reyes said they are waiting for $6 million from the Department of Administration so they could make gross payroll this Friday.
“I hope we will be able to know soon. Hopefully, we will get it before Friday. It is always nice to receive word prior (to payday),” Reyes told Variety.
Once it receives additional money, GPSS will be able to make payments to other vendors.
GPSS was not able to pay any other vendors, besides payroll, because of a suit filed by the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Department of Labor against GPSS and Reyes on March 22 in Superior Court.
GPSS was ordered to follow the laws of Guam by paying its employees the full amount or gross payroll owed to them each and every payroll period, on time, without delay.
For several pay periods in March, GPSS failed to pay employee deductions, or payroll vendors, in direct violation of Guam’s Fair Labor Standards Act and the island’s wage and hour laws, according to the AGO.
The complaint sought an order against GPSS to protect its employees, and the public, from present and further harm by restraining the public school system from expending any government funds for the benefit of GPSS until all payroll deductions from gross wages of GPSS employees are paid.
Gov. Felix P. Camacho intervened last month by invoking his Organic Act authority to “protect the health and safety of Guam’s public school students” ordering a payment to GPA to avoid the disconnection of services. GPA has threatened disconnection of services to GPSS if a payment was not made for their February billing.