Senator Chris Duenas wants public schools to have at least an annual $20 million budget for maintenance of campuses starting in October. The republican lawmaker is proposing an amendment to the Guam Department of Education budget for Fiscal Year 2024 that will take an unused $20 million FY 2023 appropriation to GDOE and apply it to the agency in the upcoming budget year.
GDOE’s $247 million budget request, which the legislature’s budget committee did not increase in its latest version of the budget bill, does not include funding for maintenance and repairs of deferred maintenance despite the ongoing facilities crisis.
“[DOE]’s finance chief, Franklin Coopernurse, made it clear to us that they will use that funding for maintenance,” Mr. Duenas said. “They need that money to fix schools.”
The legislature has, for decades, failed to fund public school maintenance, for the most part.
The senator will attempt to include the amendment during budget bill deliberations this week. He contends the additional appropriation should not require a corresponding adjustment to revenue projections because the funding source already exists and remains unused from the current fiscal year.
“We understand the significance of a well-funded education system in nurturing the talents and potential of young minds. This amendment underscores our dedication to empowering the Guam Department of Education and their students, equipping them for success” Mr. Duenas said.
1 Comments
Alan San Nicolas
08/10/2023 at 5:49 AM
Ti I salape (kopble) ha na gaigi I achaki. I man amu (magas), kao man kapas ? Hasso na guaha man ma ko-kotte pago-go na momentum. Finoña I taotao sanlagu, ” management “. Duru ma sagan na gi teimpon Fernandez, paire na hinanao setbisio. Pues hafa pago ?