DOE to feel effects of reserve

by Krystal Paco

Guam - The Department of Education may soon feel the effects of the 15% reserve implemented by Governor Eddie Calvo at the beginning of the fiscal year. At this afternoon's DOE Financial Supervisory Commission meeting, interim superintendent Taling Taitano remained hopeful that the governor will consider releasing even a portion of the $30 million in reserve in order to keep the agency afloat come mid-July.

"The message that I've been getting from BBMR and the Governor's Office is that certainly that they would support the needs of the department at the same time expect that we will tighten our belts where we can," she said.

During last month's EFSC meeting Public Auditor Doris Flores Brooks said DOE could manage should 10% of the reserve be released. Until the reserve is released, the department remains in a "C" watch for the month of May due to projections that they will not meet payroll or utilities in coming months.  Taitano says a request to BBMR for the partial release will be sent this week.