FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
There is no real danger of next school year starting late, or schools being consolidated, despite news reports.
The Governor’s Office and DOE ask media partners to clarify that language passed in the resolution by the Guam Education Board was meant to convey only a doomsday scenario, where DOE receives none of the 15 percent reserve. It is highly unlikely this will happen. Both the Governor’s Office and DOE fully understand that at least part, if not most or all, of the reserve will be released so DOE can meet its core and critical functions without jeopardizing payroll or instructional quality. Most of the reserve was released last fiscal year to ensure DOE’s stable operations.
The Governor’s Office, the Department of Education, and the Bureau of Budget and Management Research have been working closely together since Superintendent Jon Fernandez came on board on a number of issues. Finances, though short in every agency including DOE, have been relatively stable. DOE has lived within the fiscal realities, cutting its power consumption and holding the line on spending outside payroll and other necessary costs.
END
