News
DOE identifies $60M from feds
by Nick Delgado
Guam - The Guam Department of Education identified more than $60 million in federal grant funding that rolled over from the previous fiscal year. DOE federal administrator Ike Santos says the grant funding will all be put into the classrooms as well as special education and the child nutrition program. He says the funds also requires training be done for school personnel to know the do's and don'ts when spending federal money.
He said, "This is one of the requirements, if we had done this and started ten years ago we may not have gone through a third party, we may not have gone high risk, but not withstanding that we are addressing the requirements, ensuring all stakeholders, all key players who are going to be receiving federal dollars that they understand how to expend those funds."
School personnel heard several presentations including from Public Auditor Doris Flores brooks who stressed a need to improve the academic performance of our students to greater than below basic. "She had major points and part of her thing was somewhat dismal because she did reflect on our SAT-10 scores and how we would use these federal dollars, we have to remember these federal dollars are supplemental in nature, they are to supplement local funds and until the legislature sees the seriousness in addressing the requirements of education we will continue to see the shortfall," said Santos.
Despite the federal funds, Santos adds DOE can't afford to make any cuts inline with the administrations reorganization efforts.