How will reduced budget affect DOE?

by Michele Catahay

Guam - The Department of Education is assessing the impacts of a reduction in its budget for next fiscal year. According to Deputy Superintendent of Finance Taling Taitano, officials are expecting DOE's budget to be reduced by $12.5 million. Cause for concern is whether the department would be eligible to obtain additional funding from the federal government.

Taitano says DOE is currently applying for two grants - one that would give DOE $20 million for jobs at the school site and another that would provide $80 million from the state fiscal stabilization fund to cover capital improvement projects, training and technology. In order to obtain these funds, Taitano says the feds require that DOE maintain funding levels each year.

In the meantime, she says the Governor's Office is looking into the matter. Last week, the Legislature approved a budget for DOE pegged at almost $184 million.