By By Julianne Hernandez Pacific Daily News

Copyright guampdn

Seven contenders have stepped forward for a chance to lead one of Guam’s largest government agencies.

The Guam Department of Education received seven applications for the superintendent position before the 5 p.m. Friday deadline. The applications will remain sealed until Sept. 29, when the search committee begins its official review.

GDOE spokesperson Damen Borja, Human Resources Administrator Katherine Ada, and Guam Education Board Chairman Angel Sablan led a livestreamed accountability session during which Ada opened the secure lockbox and initially counted six envelopes.

“Applications have been closed… We are no longer accepting any other application that might be coming in,” Borja said. “For the last month, Ms. Kat has been accepting all the applications, whether it be through email, through the locked email that only she has access to, and also in-person applications.”

However, shortly after the livestream ended, Borja issued a correction confirming a seventh application had been received before the deadline.

“Before we began the livestream we did not notice a seventh application has been submitted and time stamped before 5:00 p.m.,” he said.

Borja said the review of all documents will begin on Sept. 29, when board’s Superintendent Search Committee chairwoman Maria Gutierrez returns. The sealed applications will be opened to verify that all required materials and qualifications were submitted.

The committee includes board members Gutierrez, Ron McNinch, and Felicita Angel. They will review the documents to determine which applicants meet all requirements and can move to the next step.

Sablan said the committee will determine which applications are completed and can move forward to the next step. He clarified that neither he nor any other board member knows who the applicants are.

“We do not know who they are, but having said that, those of you that are watching, if you are an applicant and did submit your application, you are more than free to tell the public that you did apply to be superintendent,” Sablan said. “But as of right now, those envelopes will remain sealed until September 29. Until then, I as chair will not know who these applicants are, or anybody on the board will not know who these applicants are unless the applicant himself or herself divulges that they have applied to be superintendent of Guam’s Department of Education.”

The superintendent search opened on Aug. 25.

The screening period is scheduled for Sept. 22 to 26, with interviews planned for Oct. 13 to 18.

The board is expected to make a final selection at its Oct. 21 meeting, approve a contract in November, and seat the new superintendent on January 1, 2026.

This comes as current Superintendent Erik Swanson, who began his tenure in July 2023, submitted his resignation on June 17, citing health concerns. His final day will be Dec. 31. His resignation comes amid ongoing federal funding reductions and longstanding operational challenges within the department.

Board members can’t apply

The search process came under legal scrutiny after the board requested guidance from the Office of the Attorney General and the Civil Service Commission on whether a current board member can lawfully apply for the superintendent position.

In a legal memorandum issued Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Chisa Tillman concluded that current board members are barred from seeking the position due to a conflict of interest under Guam law. The opinion states that board members, as public officials, exercise direct control over the superintendent position and cannot apply while serving or immediately after leaving office.

The statute cited prohibits individuals who have had authority over government operations from employment within government agencies for either 180 days or one year, depending on the level of authority exercised.

All 12 board members, which include six elected members, three appointed voting members, and three non-voting members, are considered public officials and are classified as employees under Guam law. That classification bars them from actions that could affect operations in which they have a personal stake.

The legal opinion states that no waiver or workaround can resolve the inherent conflict. The restriction exists to protect government operations from real or perceived influence by public officials seeking roles they help govern.