Millions in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) remain tied up in administrative delays, raising concerns they could go unspent before looming deadlines.
During last Thursday’s Financial Supervisory Commission meeting, officials said about $8 million is still pending reimbursement, with roughly $14–15 million in encumbered funds yet to be fully processed.
“If it’s not expended … there’s a likelihood we’re going to return it,” a GDOE finance official warned.
The delays stem largely from internal processing breakdowns, including mismatched invoices, incorrect purchase orders, and data entry errors. Under federal rules, payments must pass a strict “three-way match” before approval.
“Detail isn’t aligning with the purchase order… so it’ll always get rejected,” GDOE said.
GDOE noted that about $7 million in invoices are already in hand, with more expected as projects wrap up. However, each must still be reviewed, corrected, and verified before funds can be disbursed.
“Why aren’t you procuring it? … None of this should go back,” Bureau of Budget Management and Research's Steve Guerreo said, expressing frustration.
GDOE staff say they are working to reconcile discrepancies and accelerate processing, but uncertainty remains over how much funding can be spent in time.