Corrections underway; GEB neither rejects nor accepts management audit

After back and forth on the accuracy and validity of a management audit scrutinizing the Guam Education Board, will the board finally accept or reject it? 

There's still no formal action on the independent management audit scrutinizing the GEB, which has pushed back on making a move on the report for some time now, citing the audit contains errors of fact, and for not getting a fair chance to look it over before its release to the public. 

Board member Christine Baleto contending the audit is technically considered a draft, since it was neither rejected nor accepted, and therefore, she says, could not have been FOIA'd.   “Documents should not be released for exactly this reason. It was a media circus without anyone on this board reviewing it and having a chance to respond, or for it to even be finalized at the management level," she said.

Guam Education Board chair, Dr. Judith Guthertz, adding, while she supports taking corrective action, the information in the audit is “highly questionable", adding, “In the communication that was received, I think a few days ago, from the company that did the audit, they actually apologized for the board not having the opportunity to respond to the draft.

“Nevertheless, the department has taken the initiative, and the board has taken the initiative to go through the audit, to look at it, to see what needs to be clarified, and to acknowledge areas that we can approve upon.”

The audit taking center stage during an oversight hearing with lawmakers earlier this month, with senators dissatisfied with the board’s perceived dismissal of the report’s findings.  “I think it’s important for the policy makers on the island to recognize that there were infirmities in that audit, inaccuracies in that audit," she said.

In the meantime, Guthertz says both Guam DOE and the GEB’s comments on the audit are underway for release to the public, alongside the chronology of the audit. 

This as a letter explaining the board’s inaction on the audit is being prepared to send to the legislative oversight chair on education, as the due date to submit was December 31.