Lawmakers press Guam Department of Education on cuts, facilities and procurement as budget talks continue

Senators at a budget hearing were warned that the Guam Department of Education could face large staff reductions and campus consolidations if the legislature approves only a status‑quo local budget for FY 2026.

The hearing focused on the GDOE request for $306.3 million in local funds and the agency’s warning that the bill being considered would leave the department at roughly FY 2025 funding levels. Superintendent Swanson told the panel that, in a planning scenario presented to the department, a $20 million personnel shortfall “would require closing roughly 10 schools” based on an estimated $2 million in annual savings per closed campus.

The warning came alongside detailed questioning from senators about year‑to‑year budget increases, lapses in procurement, unpaid federal invoices and the operational impact of cutting personnel and contracts. Senator Borja said she was alarmed by projections that the department might have to reduce force and “close at least another 10 school communities,” and urged the panel not to return the system to pre‑improvement conditions.

Lawmakers drilled into three recurring operational problems: stalled procurements and protested contracts that have kept locally‑appropriated funds from being spent, a backlog of unpaid ARP invoices that GDOE is fronting with one‑time local funds,…