Guam - The Guam Education Board decided to scrap the benefits and instead bump-up the salary for Department of Education superintendent-select Jon Fernandez. Earlier this week Fernandez was asking for all sorts of benefits as part of his contract during a special board meeting, however, members decided to scrap them and instead give him more money.

Fernandez's draft contract wasn't making the grade with certain board members, as Rosie Tainatongo said, "My biggest concern is that we don't really have a lot of money and a lot of our employees don't get of things that this new superintendent is requesting for." Those requests included $2,000 a month for living expenses, $650 a month for a car and gas, and $300 a month for technology services.

Fellow board member Joe San Agustin made the motion to scrap the requests and increase the salary, saying, "I would like to suggest that the board consider instead of adding the benefits, and because the gca allows us to establish his salary. Just raise his salary...it came up to $149,000, so I would round it up to $150,000 and walk away and not have to worry about any of the other benefits he's getting and it covers everything and he covers it himself."

As for the 2% annual raise that Fernandez was seeking should he receive satisfactory performance evaluations, the board decided that the raise "may" be given. A termination clause that would have given Fernandez one full year's salary and benefits should he be fired was also removed from the contract, while the $15,000 relocation costs remained in tact to help pay for the shipment of his household goods.

The board was also able to clarify that Fernandez will be able to re-join the government retirement plan as long as he had at least one full year of prior government service.

GEB chairman Francis Santos said, "I think the major ones for him was one of the retirement issues that we pretty much settled and the housing, car and relocation expense, which of course the board has agreed to now. So I think Mr. Fernandez should be happy and ready to move forward."

The board is hoping Fernandez will start work sometime next month. Fernandez tells KUAM News he has not yet had the opportunity to review the contract and is withholding comment until he has a chance to talk more with the board chair. Santos meanwhile says he wants the contract to be signed by all the parties by the end of this week.