Guam Department of Education asks Legislature for $306 million as federal ARP reimbursements remain unresolved

Deputy Superintendent for Finance Morgan “Wade” Paul told the Guam Legislature on April 30 that the Guam Department of Education is asking for $306 million in local appropriations for fiscal year 2026 and that much of the department’s previous operating relief came from pandemic-era federal grants now expended or difficult to draw.

“The funds we receive in this arena are just insufficient to take care of the major projects required in all of our schools,” Paul said. “Everything in this budget is absolutely necessary.”

The request breaks down in Paul’s presentation to the Committee on Finance and Government Operations as roughly $260.4 million for personnel, $25 million for general operations, $17.56 million for utilities and about $380,000 for capital outlays. Department officials said personnel accounts for about 86% of the request.

Why it matters

GDOE officials told senators that they relied on ARP and other federal pandemic-era funds for recurring costs such as utilities and large service contracts in recent years. Those funds are now largely exhausted or must be drawn down on a reimbursable basis, leaving the department to seek local appropriations to avoid service interruptions. Officials warned that delays or denials of federal reimbursements could force GDOE to draw local general-fund monies to keep schools open and systems running.

Key details

- Federal funds and reimbursements: Paul said GDOE submitted a $51 million reimbursement request to the U.S. Department of Education and is awaiting a decision. Senators and department staff described a larger, fluid aggregate of ARP/ESSER funds at stake — figures mentioned in the hearing ranged into the tens of millions to more than $100 million — and said final federal guidance will affect how urgently local appropriations must be used to bridge shortfalls.

- Utilities and operating risk: GDOE estimated utilities at…