From layoffs en masse to reduced work weeks and services.

“Passing the budget as it will be disastrous for the (Guam Department of Education) department and Guam as a whole,” said GDOE Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Swanson. 

The Guam Department of Education went before lawmakers Friday, warning of dire impacts if its Fiscal Year 2026 budget is cut from the $306 million requested to the $266 million proposed.

“GDOE would need to cut cumulatively 50.9 million dollars in general fund costs. The total value of the above cuts and corrections is a reduction of only 30.9 million. Meaning that a further $20 million in cuts must be made elsewhere in the budget,” said Swanson. 

But Steve Guerrero, Director of the Office of Finance and Budget, says he doesn’t believe GDOE is being short-changed.

“It’s hard for me to keep giving an agency monies–especially in the tens of millions if they’re lapsing potential 10 million every year. If there is a need for 20, 30, or 40 million for GDOE then we need to see it. But historically, the way they’ve been spending based on the appropriation we were giving them, it seemed it was just adequate,” said Guerrero. 

Some senators also made note of GDOE’s lapse of funds.

“It doesn’t look good when you ask for something, you ask for a certain budget ,and then you get appropriated something less, but then you still have lapses in the millions of dollars, it just doesn’t look good,” said Sen. Tony Ada. 

Others, however, argued the department needs more support.

“It’s frankly disgusting what we’re hearing in here tonight—acting like these lapses, which, from what I’m hearing, are obligated, are a blank check. Acting as if you make $50 million in cuts to critical services, that somehow the Department of Education is going to roll on,” Sen. Chris Barnett. 

Meantime, senators reconvened over the weekend to consider amendments, including Education Oversight Chair Vince Borja’s proposal to set aside $10 million for maintenance and repairs out of GDOE’s $266 million allocation, which ultimately passed.