HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The budgetary needs of the Guam Department of Education for fiscal year 2025 continue to be worked out by the Guam Education Board, which tabled the school system’s fiscal 2025 budget request to review roughly $1 million in questioned personnel costs.
During the GEB special meeting on Tuesday, board member Maria Gutierrez made the motion to table the approval of the fiscal 2025 budget until further notice.
She said, “Based on the recent submissions, it appears that positions that are federally funded have been added to the staffing pattern.”
The GEB’s finance committee recommendation followed a review of the fourth submission of the budget, according to board member Christine Baleto.
“This is the fourth submission we had of the budget and with each submission, we had many concerns that we’ve been able to meet with the superintendent and his management team to kind of get resolved. As Ms. Gutierrez mentioned, (in) this latest budget, we noted that there are additional positions and contractual obligations that were federally funded under indirect, but are being moved to the general fund,” Baleto said.
According to Gutierrez, there are approximately 13 positions in question, which adds up to $1 million.
Baleto added, “Our concern there is this movement prevents us from investing once again in some of the priorities that the board has to meet the Adequate Education Act or deal with the lawsuit that is before the board.”
The GEB granted the financial committee’s request for more time to iron out those concerns with GDOE Superintendent Kenneth Erik Swanson and his deputies.
Acting GEB Chair Angel Sablan said he hopes to include the fiscal 2025 budget in the monthly board meeting agenda on March 11.
The Guam Education Board holds a special meeting at the Guam Department of Education headquarters in Tiyan on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024.
