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Camacho questions $5M to save DOE staffers

by Nick Delgado

Governor Felix Camacho does not agree with Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo's efforts to use $5 million of capital improvement funds to avert yet another crisis at the Department of Education.  And while the island's chief has declared another state of emergency for the school system to provide a temporary solution, it seems some DOE employees are tired of having to worry about whether or not they will continue to have jobs.

"If you take us away, what's going to happen to the students?" questioned DOE Teaching Assistant Raylene Castro. "Where are they going to be at when it comes to reading? Are they going to stay in the same level? We help them out. Why take away our jobs? Why let us suffer? Why let them suffer? They're always saying kids come first. You're not putting the kids first; you're putting yourselves first," she added.

She is among the 300+ DOE employees whose jobs are being threatened due to a lack of funding to support federal programs such as the Success for All Reform Program at her school.  Efforts were made by Bordallo and Assistant Secretary of the Interior Tony Babauta to authorize the governor to fix the problem.

"The Governor of Guam to take $5 million from the 2010 Compact impact funds to be used to cover the DOE federal programs shortfall, and this money is to be reimbursed when DOE federal funds have been reinstated," said the delegate to KUAM News via phone this morning.  But Camacho retorted, saying, "I disagree with Congresswoman Bordallo. The utilization of funds from the Compact impact are funds that have already been obligated...nor was I consulted by her office about this contemplation before they even reached out to Interior."

While the island's chief says he will not jeopardize using CIP funding that is already slated for other agencies, Camacho says he worked with his fiscal team to secure GDOE funds to help get them through the next pay period.  

DOE Deputy Superintendent Taling Taitano estimates that figure to be some $250,000.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Public Education Dr. Nerissa Bretania Underwood says she feels this only places more anxiety on the employees, as it remains uncertain if they will have a job in the coming weeks, noting, "My only reaction is that until my governor tells me that the students are not very important at this point, then I will then at that time worry about it.  But I am confident that Governor Camacho really has our children's welfare at heart."

Camacho added that he will work closely with the senators to finalize legislation that would allow DOE to tap into certain appropriations to carry them until they can get a third-party fiduciary agent. And Camacho wants to ensure that the feds will be able to pay back all local funds borrowed.

Speaker Judi Won Pat, who is still off-island, says her office is already working on such legislation.  "We were going to authorize the advance allotments money of DOE's current budget," she said. "That means go to the back end of their budget, take those monies and relieve them early on.

Another DOE teaching assistant, Alyssa Lujan, said, "I'm pretty saddened, because I'm here to help kids, and I want them to learn as my education before I want them to learn as much as I did and it's unfair to the kids."

While Underwood says she will hold on to her furlough letters, Governor Camacho wants the agencies employees to know they are safe.  "Not to worry - their jobs are going to be secured," promised the governor.  

"We're going to find the funds. But they should hold their administration accountable."

Meanwhile, Dr. Underwood says all employees can report to work on Monday.