Governor Felix Camacho today responded to Dr. Nerissa Bretania-Shafer's request for assistance in finding a solution to the double session problem at George Washington High School and further addressing the crowding situation in northern schools. The answer he proposed is to utilize some privately owned buildings in Tiyan. 

Remember the old Department of Revenue & Taxation building in Tiyan?  It could end up becoming the new temporary facility for JFK High School students.  Governor Camacho says because there is no way currently to finance the rebuilding of the old JFK, this is the most viable option for ending THE Upper Tumon campus's double-sessions at GW, and giving the students a place of their own.

"There's absolutely no way that that school could be built here now, nor can financing be achieved until the market settles down," said the governor.  "But in the interim to take care of the students, to take care of the teachers, the parents and all of the difficulties that are occurring, we believe that this is one of the best options we have here now."

The property was purchased last January by CoreTech International, a company that has worked on numerous military and Government of Guam contracts, including the four new schools.  CoreTech has been renovating the property to convert it into barracks and offices. 

CoreTech director of business development Josh Tenorio told KUAM News, "It's not very often when you have an opportunity for an immediate solution to the community, and recognizing that CoreTech is pleased to work and explore this with the government and to continue the vision of the governor in continuing to resolve the overcrowding issues of the Guam Public School System and making sure that there is a safe learning environment for everybody."

Tenorio adds that asbestos and other environmental issues have all been fixed.  The entire proposed campus would be about 39 acres with 150,000 square feet of building space and 100 classrooms. There's plenty of room for a cafeteria, gymnasium, storage and just about everything you'd need for a proper high school campus.

So how will all of this be funded?  Camacho says they are looking at various ways to procure a lease, saying, "Say for example the developer owes some taxes in GRT; we could provide perhaps tax credits there are other incentives available and once those are exhausted we could negotiate a month to month or a year-to-year lease similar to the municipal lease that we have right now for the schools."

JFK assistant principal Steve Protasio says it's a better option than moving into the adjoining Chief Brodie Memorial School as that would still require the double-session format.  "I just think that the potential is there," Protasio stated.  "They certainly have enough space the contractor seems to be extremely interested in helping us out and flexible in giving us what we need to operate a full school and not just a marginal school, so we're really excited about the prospects."

The governor stresses that if this property is converted into a school it will not replace the old JFK.  Once that is rebuilt students can move back in and if the Tiyan facility is acquired for the long-term it can help ease the overpopulation of GW and other schools.