by Michele Catahay, KUAM News Thursday, July 03, 2008 Subscribe to Michele's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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While the Guam Public School System had scheduled a meeting for this evening to provide information about the possibility of double session at George Washington High School, it seems at the last minute, the meeting was cancelled. According to members of the Guam Education Policy Board, rightfully so, as GPSS shouldn't panic the school community and act prematurely.

GEPB Chairperson Joe San Agustin stated, "The board is not in support of any double session at GW or at Simon Sanchez." GPSS might want to double check their plans for double session at the home of the Geckos with the Guam Education Policy Board as San Agustin said, "Whatever the school or Mr. Wilfred Aflague and his folks are planning, if they don't let us know, ain't nothing going to happen."

As we reported over the last couple of weeks, GPSS has been working on alternatives on where to place some 2,400 JFK students in the event the school is officially condemned. This week GPSS announced the possibility they might have to move the students to George Washington High. The Mangilao school principal Begonia Flores said the details will be provided to parents and students Thursday evening, but she did emphasize that nothing is final until the findings from the official assessment currently
being conducted by Taniguchi Ruth Makio Architects are released.

Flores stated, "The specific details of this plan just like the plan that we had when we double sessioned with JFK five years ago right after the typhoon, you know things like when, what's the scheduled timeline, when will books from JFK be moved, records to be moved, when do teachers of JFK and GW meet to get together so they can determine the room sharing, what needs to occur and thinking like that."

While GPSS had planned to move forward and meet with parents and students at GW tonight, board members like Peter Alexcis Ada are perplexed that GPSS would even have a public meeting just yet saying the system should at least wait until the findings are released next week, instead of jumping the gun. Ada said, "I do not believe that we should panic everybody."

Furthermore Ada along with board chairperson Joe San Agustin feel GPSS should do more homework and come up with other options. San Agustin asked, "What are we looking at? Are we looking at Ukudu? Is it going to be ready? We're not going to have collateral equipment but there's nothing stopping from getting collateral equipment from JFK and moving it to Ukudu."

Ada added, "All the board is asking, at least as a representative of the Kattan district, what other plans are there? GW has about 2,500 students. There's going to be a disruption. 2,500 kids what are the other plans?"

With a board that's been under scrutiny as of late accused of meddling in operations, this time, the board isn't backing down. San Agustin stated, "If they're planning things on their own, they need to remind themselves of who they work for. They don't work for themselves, they work for the superintendent who works for the board and we work for the people of Guam."

Ada agreed and said, "I think they're on the right track that they are planning but let's get involved. Let's do it together because we represent, we are doing this separation for policy versus operation. This is policy. This is not operations."

Late this afternoon San Agustin told KUAM that tonight's meeting had been cancelled as plans for double session are simply "too premature" and officials should first wait for the results from an architectural and engineering firm on the condition of JFK .