Guam Attorney General Douglas Moylan sent draft legislation to senators that will allow up to 1,500 public school students of the designated “Tier 3” schools to attend private schools.
Tier 3 Guam Department of Education schools are those campuses GDOE believes will not be ready to open for months following the August 23, 2023 official start date due to health and safety concerns.
Mr. Moylan provided Speaker Therese Terlaje and education committee chairman Senator Chris Barnett two draft bills for the consideration of senators. These bills are the result of a roundtable discussion the attorney general led with island leaders in order to provide solutions to the school opening crisis.
The first bill would lift current legislative caps on charter school student populations, and provide increased appropriations to the charter schools that will cover instruction that will begin in August.
The second bill will create a voucher system and fund, backed by an appropriation of $15 million, the tuition for students of certain public schools to attend private schools. The cap on tuition for School Year 2023-2024 will be $7,500 per student, an amount equal to the per pupil cost for charter schools. Those interested in switching from those Tier 3 public schools would participate in a lottery to determine who may avail of the vouchers.
The Tier 3 schools include, according to the draft legislation:
- Adacao Elementary School
- Captain H.B. Price Elementary School
- D.L. Perez Elementary School
- J.Q. San Miguel Elementary School
- Tamuning Elementary School
- Upi Elementary School
- Agueda Johnston Middle School
- Astumbo Middle School
- Inalajan Middle School
- Jose Rios Middle School
- Vicente Benavente Middle School
- George Washington High School
“Our legislature is needed to accomplish our common goal to ensure every student is provided in-person instruction from ‘School Day One,’ Mr. Moylan wrote in his letter to Ms. Terlaje and Mr. Barnett. “As I promised in our round-table discussions, we are committed to assisting in providing an adequate public education by drafting proposed legislation. We want to provide to all our elected leaders ‘options.’ Your assistance in adopting the draft bills is appreciated.”
5 Comments
Ozzie
07/28/2023 at 5:26 PM
Good idea! Private schools can use these funds and public schools can lessen their burden.
Judith
07/28/2023 at 10:56 PM
Having the govt pay to have kids attend religious schools is subsidizing religion and violates the separation of church and state,
I want my tax dollars to be non denominational
Bandit
07/30/2023 at 9:02 AM
Its their choice what school they want to attend. Whether secular or non secular?
Frank Perez
07/29/2023 at 8:11 AM
And if my son was unlucky enough not to “win” a place in the lottery? Do so sue the government for not providing my son with an adequate education?
Alan San Nicolas
07/30/2023 at 7:48 AM
Alugat un asiste I GDOE (gobetno) mas un na misen I achaki.