Education budget nearly cut in half

by Michele Catahay

Guam - The Guam Education Policy Board wants to know if $25 million is the final answer.  After a work session yesterday the Department of Education tapered down its original $48 million supplemental budget request to nearly half.

But GEPB Chairman Joe San Agustin says he's giving the department a few more days to go back and review their numbers one last time, telling KUAM News, "We're going to have a special meeting on Monday - instead of Friday - and the reason for that is that we're going to allow DOE a chance to scrub their books one more time, show the relevance for this year, last year, and the previous years and how the schools are running and how the inflation has caused the increase in money required at the schools."

San Agustin adds the department needs to get an accurate accounting of what is owed for retirement contributions and other debts as well as what can be offset with American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds.  The board anticipates passing a resolution for the supplemental budget request during Monday's special meeting.