Deleon Guerrero is the principal of Mount Carmel School.
“When they hired me at MCS, that’s the plan,” he told Variety yesterday. “That’s the school’s decision and was made even before I was elected [to serve on] BOE.”
The funds used for Deleon Guerrero’s travel were part of Mt. Carmel’s professional development allocation for FY 2007.
“I didn’t use any BOE funds for my master’s degree,” Deleon Guerrero said, adding that it was the leadership of the school and Bishop Tomas A. Camacho who allowed him to obtain master’s degree using the school’s professional development fund.
Some $200,000 is being provided each year to MCS for the school’s professional development and student resources.
The school has two years to spend the federal grant.
“Under the leadership of the school president, Margaret C. Dela Cruz, and … Bishop Tomas A. Camacho, Mount Carmel School, which is allocated federal funds for professional development, decided to use such funds for my graduate studies,” he said.
Deleon Guerrero said he did not spend BOE funds for any travel.
“I have not been paid a dime for anything related to BOE,” he added.
The MCS principal believes that using a portion of the federal grant for his professional development does not violate any federal rules.
He added this has been done before by past administrators of private and public schools which also sent their teachers and principals to training and further education here and in the states.
