by Krystal Paco

Guam - Members of the Guam Education Board still have their hesitations about the Guahan Academy Charter School.

At last night's meeting, member Francis Santos raised concerns that failing to validate student numbers is like the board writing a blank check paid to the order of the charter school.

A DOE count shows over 300 students have left a DOE school for the charter school. To date, enrollment at the new charter school is 515 students.

"The charter school is a pilot at best. If it doesn't work, the obligation falls back on us to bring back these 315 students back into our system, so the challenge is on us so I'm asking the superintendent and his management team proof that these 515 students exist," he said.

As we've been reporting, the charter school is funded through the DOE budget and a public law that provides $5,500 per Guahan Academy Charter School enrollee.

Santos requests that an SOP for validating student numbers be presented at the November board meeting.