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Progress Report: Wettengel Elementary School
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by Michele Catahay, KUAM News
Friday, May 09, 2008
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With the recent closure of at least three public schools, work continues at other campuses in order to get the facilities up to standards. Like all other schools, Wettengel Elementary School in Dededo, the Home of the Binadus, suffers from the lack of working air conditioners. Principal Melissa Mafnas says six out of 46 classrooms need to have their A/Cs replaced completely. These rooms aren't the only ones lacking proper ventilation - Mafnas admits that other classrooms may have working units, but some don't meet the 78° standard.
In fact, one of the rooms without working ac is the library, which has not been open for two years. As required by law, schools must have their libraries up and running. Said Mafnas, "My library has been shut down for two years, so I recently got a librarian on board this year and she's working on having and she's working on having everything fixed up in there. The air conditioners don't work in the library, so we're trying to get the books and the mold fixed. As soon as the A/Cs start working, we can work a little faster getting the library all set up and running>"
Mafnas says the school has ensured that there are reading materials placed in the classrooms. She is hoping by next school year, they can offer incentives to students who read 25 books or more in order to bring the library out to the students. As for whether the school has enough working water fountains, Mafnas says all fountains are currently working but one of the other issues the school faces is the issue of not having enough electricity. "Our electricity needs to be upgraded," she added. "And of course the school is very old, it was built in 1969, so it needs to be upgraded but we don't have too many trips with power or anything like that. The only time we have problems is like if a new power source needs to be installed, like new A/C units."
As for number of toilets and urinals, Mafnas says 1 out of 32 toilets needs to be repaired with at least two out of 17 urinals need to be replaced. Other issues in the school include leaks in at least three classrooms and problems with the grease traps in the cafeteria, which Mafnas says are currently being monitored. When asked whether her school is ready for inspection by the attorney general and the Guam Public School System's Health and Safety Task Force, Mafnas says.
"We're as ready as we can be. I don't think we're as bad. Our facilities (for as old as this school is) is maintained and well kept, so I'm hoping so. And if it is, we do get shut down, I just need time to try and fix it and hope to get the teachers and kids in by next school year," said Mafnas.
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