In a letter to Guam appropriations chair Senator Joe S. San Agustin, Congressman San Nicolas urges the Chairman to not reduce local appropriations to education just because they have received federal funds.
"For decades we have all seen education underfunded due to budgetary constraints, with no textbooks and broken facilities being the norm rather than the exception," opened Congressman San Nicolas. "We have also heard and recited the mantra that education is a priority, all the while underfunding primary and post-secondary education routinely," Congressman San Nicolas continued. "Now that we have significant federal funding on top of our initial local commitments we can no longer use the lack of resources as an excuse, nor should we all of a sudden turn our backs on education at a time when we should be putting our best foot forward," Congressman San Nicolas added. "We are in direct communication with our education leaders, working with them to expand opportunities we never had before, and we encourage Chairman San Agustin to protect our local education funding for the sake of our future, our educators, and our school children," Congressman San Nicolas concludes.
Mr. San Nicolas‘s wife, Kathy, is a longtime educator. He also was a teacher early in his professional career.
His letter to Mr. San Agustin follows:
