The Guam Department of Education anticipates the design of the new Simon A. Sanchez High School in Yigo to be 90% complete by the end of the month.

Thanks to the most recent discovery of tree snails, an endemic species, the target date to have 90% completion of the design for the new Home of the Sharks was pushed back from April to the end of this month. GDOE Superintendent Jon Fernandez said that in a recent meeting with Tanguchi Ruth Makio Architects the island's largest school system was re-affirmed the design for the new SSHS will be 90% complete by the end of June.

"Some of that adjustment to the schedule had to do with the discovery of tree snails on the property so that required some additional design work and modification in order to take into account those snails and what's needed to be done to preserve their habitat at the same time making sure we meet the schools needs," he said.

"They are heading to the 90% completion of the design which we anticipate this month a little bit further toward the end of the month but that is still on our adjusted schedule."

As KUAM News reported, the new learning facility will have a large central courtyard, cafeteria, gymnasium, library, and 94 classrooms.

However, Fernandez confirmed with KUAM News on Friday that the new learning institution will have fewer classrooms then originally planned.

"There have been some classroom reductions already taken into account," he said. "Part of that was when we originally started this design work 10 years ago there was anticipation that maybe the school enrollment might go up to 2,000 possibly higher. Since then the enrollment has dropped down to about 1,650 and based on our master facilities plan it looks like enrollment will stabilize in that area. Yes classrooms have been reduced but they've been reduced to reflect a more accurate student enrollment from now going forward."

The head of the island's GovGuam agency hopes to have this phase completed before he departs from GDOE on July 15.

"I am trying to get it all out before I leave office and once I get started then I'll fill much more sure that'll be in the proccess now for vendors to come in and submit their bids and compete," Fernandez said.

As KUAM News reported, TRMA is the primary designer, administrative consultant, and owner representative for GDOE which was announced in October 2020.

The construction for the new high school campus could have begun this summer, but now will be pushed back. The first phase is slated to be completed in the summer of 2024.

Issuing solicitation for the building and financing of the school should happen by the end of the month, according to Fernandez.