HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Academy Charter Schools Council asked lawmakers to appropriate $7,500 per student enrolled in the four charter schools for fiscal 2024.
“If I had my wishlist, I’d like to go for $10,000. I just want that for the record because stats and data (are) proving we are doing something right,” Evangeline Cepeda, chair of the council told senators during the budget hearing Wednesday in the public hearing room of the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña.
She said she understood money was tight, but said student enrollment is high for charter schools and there is a waitlist. She advocated for increased funding.
“I just thought I’d put it out there because my job is to advocate for the charter schools. That’s my job and, as you know, I get paid peanuts to do this,” she said.
Cepeda added that she might come back to the table to request for an increased cap for the number of students funded for the school year, noting many Guam Department of Education schools won’t be ready for the start of classes and that the four charter schools could assist by taking in GDOE students.
“We want to be partners. … At the end of the day, we’re serving the same children, the people of Guam and if the parents want to send them here because this is their option, then so be it,” Cepeda said.
Cepeda said the charter schools would be able to accommodate 500 GDOE students this school year if the cap is lifted and funding provided.
Sen. Joe San Agustin said he understood that the council wanted to help GDOE, but he didn’t agree with Cepeda’s assertion.
“I’m just going to state that based on this and the documents since the beginning, you don’t have the ability to (accommodate an additional 500 GDOE students),” San Agustin said.
San Agustin said each charter school student would be funded at the requested $7,500.
“There’s a set budget already. …. It wasn’t any real disagreement,” he said.
Cepeda said the council would be asking Sen. Chris Barnett to make an amendment to the charter school cap in August.
Guam Academy Charter Schools Council Chairperson Evangeline M. Cepeda spoke before the Guam Legislature during a budget hearing July 19, 2023.
