A grand amount of $303.3 million is how much the Guam Department of Education is requesting from the legislature for Fiscal Year 2025. 

It’s an increase of about $56 million more than Guam DOE’s budget request from last year amid a decline in student enrollment and the consolidation of its facilities on the horizon. 

Senators asked education officials to justify its request considering these factors.

“Our employee expenses have gone up individually a great deal–between salary levels, reimbursement for retirement benefits, those expenses have gone up as well,” said GDOE Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Swanson. 

Swanson noted those specific mandated payroll increases included the 22% general pay plan, the 24% attorney pay plan, and the 18% pay plan for nurses. 

The agency also utilized cross-leveling initiatives to better align with fewer students in the classrooms.

“Mid-year, we re-assigned 39 teachers that were underutilized–where they were–basically excess–we put them into an environment where they were needed. We’re doing the same thing for administrative staff this year–realigning that for assistant principals/principals depending on the enrollment of the school,” said Swanson. 

As for updates on right-sizing, there’s still no official word on which schools would be impacted. 

“I see the option to re-align a couple of schools by changing the grade-level configuration that would provide better coverage and less commute time for everybody involved,” he said. 

Meantime, GDOE’s budget request breaks down as follows: 

  • Personnel at $250.4 million
  • Operations at $25.4 million
  • Utilities at $27.2 million
  • Capital outlay at $0.3 million

Meantime, Bill-317 was introduced today. The measure would allow Guam DOE schools awaiting Public Health inspections to continue to operate next school year. 

Currently, 19 schools are mandated to be inspected by June 30 or it cannot open its doors.