THE purpose of the 15 percent reserve was to force every agency of this government to take a long, hard look at how taxpayer dollars are spent in their agencies. I wanted them to know that while families are budgeting tightly in their homes, that the government would also practice financial frugality. It is also a basic financial management tool to help address the past three years of poor budgets and deficits. I’m very proud of how the line agencies responded to this reserve.

Adelup has taken the lead on this because I’ve always been a firm believer in leading by example. Last year, I, along with Lt. Gov. Tenorio and my senior staff, took a 10 percent pay cut. We wanted people to know that we would not ask of other hardworking GovGuam employees what we would not ask of ourselves first.

The administration’s intention with the 15 percent reserve on the Department of Education was only a cost savings strategy – a tool to force DOE leadership to take a close look at where real savings could be made. I want to assure the hardworking teachers and principals who truly care about education that these reserves will be released. But it needs to be made clear: DOE is not immune from the financial challenges facing this government.

Ideally, every leader wants to pour money into what some have dubbed as DOE’s ‘bare-bones’ budget. We’d all love to give more than the $216 million appropriation. But what is this money really going toward? If it’s going directly into classrooms, then I will make sure that every cent of the reserves is released as it’s needed.

However, my fiscal advisors have looked closely at DOE’s budget and it’s clear that the $216 million given to DOE isn’t being spent in classrooms. Students are struggling to learn in unbearable conditions. Teachers don’t have computers to input grades and share them with parents. Students living with disabilities aren’t getting assistive technology.

Classrooms, supplies and support for learning should be DOE’s top priority. But what my office has found is that in recent months, there’s been an alarming rate of hiring and travel. We know there are areas of DOE where spending is unnecessary and other areas where resources could be allocated to support more critical functions.

For instance, DOE has had the authority to implement a performance management contract for its maintenance division for months now. It still hasn’t exercised this authority. The department has had an opportunity to save on money it spends to match contributions for the free and reduced lunch program. As far as we know, it still hasn’t submitted the paperwork to get this done. There are all these recommendations to cut costs in the Evergreen report that have just remained ignored.

Imagine the millions that DOE could have been saving and reinvesting into its classrooms if it only tried. Imagine how many more supplies students and teachers could have if DOE was serious, like the rest of this government, about managing its finances better.

We all know the severity of the financial challenges we face and none of us have complained. While my salary went from $90,000 a year to $81,000, DOE has yet to make any cuts to the superintendent position. This means that while your students are forced to learn in hot classrooms, their superintendent is still receiving $125,000 a year.

It seems as though the only sacrifices and savings being made are by the students. I ask those in charge at DOE to remember that leadership and change begin with you. Our children learn by example. Saving money and spending wisely are lessons that are just as important as reading and writing. Let’s remember that we can teach this important lesson inside – and outside – the classroom.