by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Interim superintendent Taling Taitano met with Umatac Mayor Dean Sanchez today to discuss the closure of F.Q. Sanchez Elementary School. The mayor has asked that the Department of Education to postpone moving desks and equipment out of the school as they wait for lawmakers to act on legislation that would keep the campus open for another school year. Taitano, however, says the equipment must be moved out by tomorrow and there have been discussions about turning the facility over to the Umatac community.

"In my mind, that's an asset of the Umatac community, or can be. The community can use that in a variety of ways possibility of having a charter school or turning it into some kind of community center to augment what's already happening at the mayor's office."

Taitano added that there are also ongoing discussions about whether students would be sent to Marcial Sablan Elementary School or to Merizo Elementary School. The Umatac community is having a meeting at the top of the hour at the village's mayor's office to discuss those options.