by Krystal Paco

Guam - The clock is ticking for the Department of Education to spend some $60 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding, which must be obligated by September. And the island's leaders are taking notice and criticizing the agency for its failure to spend the federal aid.

It's been a start and stop process for DOE to spend the federal stimulus funding, as projects continually get delayed by procurement protests. According to Senator Chris Duenas, the department needs to be more proactive, rather than wait to ask for another ARRA obligation extension. "The biggest issue that I have is that the fact that even if we get an extension, I don't want us to become complacent," he said. "The bottom line is that the schools are in disrepair they need to get fixed and there are other models that have been used such as the Guam Energy Office to expend funds when they found themselves in the same situation.

"I'm asking the Department of Education to get more serious about this and to ensure that we expend these funds within the time allotted that we have."

Duenas recalls how the Guam Energy Office worked on a memorandum of understanding with the Guam Power Authority to re-program the unexpended funds for streetlights and other large contracts. Similarly, Duenas asks that DOE partner with the Department of Public Works. Guam Education Board member Joe San Agustin agrees that the procurement process is no excuse for the delayed spending when school facilities are suffering. San Agustin notes that no local vendor is capable of handling all of DOE and that bids should be put out for individual schools.

"I just think that by sitting there and trying to handle it themselves and over the year that has gone by, from what I understand only $800,000 has been expended of $60+ million dollars - that's unacceptable," the senator said. "And the other issue is what happens if we don't get this extension? I don't like the conversation that's going on that we consider this local money now, it's not local money - we swap local money for federal money. If we don't expend it they don't give us an extension we return it and the taxpayers of Guam deserve better."

Currently more than five bids are being reviewed at the Office of the Public Auditor for protests, including those for roofing repairs, air conditioner preventative maintenance and minor repairs, and repairs to Southern High School's gymnasium.