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USDOE hands down amended conditions

by Mindy Aguon

U.S. Department of Education's Risk Management Director Phil Maestri has outlined special conditions for the Guam Department of Education that allows the agency to continue using current funds and access new funds as well as begin the procurement process for a third-party fiduciary agent. 

In a letter to Superintendent Dr. Nerissa Bretania Underwood, Maestri notes that the amended special conditions are in continued response to DOE's failure to successfully address significant problems in fiscal accountability for grant funds.

The superintendent says the document spells out how DOE can continue to utilize their carryover of some $9 million and what conditions the agency would have to meet if it were to incur pre-award costs and have it reimbursed.  USDOE also included conditions for how DOE is to use the funds and how to draft the request for proposal for the third-party fiduciary agent. 

In the meantime, Maestri appointed the internal auditor, Lester Kuykendall, to be the temporary third-party agent to help guide DOE over the next few months until a fiduciary agent is procured.  The superintendent is confident this latest letter from the feds will ensure there is no disruption in services and that funding will be available to ensure federally-funded employees continue to have jobs as funding for those 300+ positions runs out tomorrow.

Underwood says she will meet with her management team, legal counsel and internal auditor first thing tomorrow to see how to move forward.