Guam’s public schools making headlines but not in a good way.

From threats of violence to students being sick from apparent “drugged” gummies, many voiced out that they are “alarmed and concerned” for their children’s safety.

Acting Guam Department of Education Superintendent Judi Won Pat clarified that the two Untalan Middle School students who got sick Monday apparently inhaled cannabis-infused vapes also known as dab pens.

"Dab pens, well, that was the culprit," she said. "Meaning that it was inhaled by the students and the gummy bears was only consumed to mask the smell."

As legislative chairman of education, Sen. Chris Barnett says he spoke with the Guam Police Department about the recent concerns coming out of the public schools.

"I think we got to regroup," he said. "I don't think there's a solution to this that we can come up with by tomorrow. So I just asked, you know, parents and staff, teachers admin in the schools to just be more vigilant to keep an eye out for things, you know, our kids are not only facing many threats, but they're facing a lot of temptations that, you know, we as adults have to safeguard them from."

Ultimately, Barnett suggested schools should consider screening students as they arrive on campus. And knowing some may not be comfortable with that idea, he says that it’s time that the community comes face to face with some hard truths.

"… ultimately, if we're doing everything that we can do to keep our schools safe, then…I'm comfortable with that,” he said. “Yeah, it's not a good look to have people who are going to the schools walk through metal detectors, but that's even worse. Look, when our schools are facing threats, like, ‘I'm going to shoot up to school’ or…students bringing a gun to class….we have a great responsibility and obligation and duty to do everything that we can to protect our schools."

Guam Education Board Member Fely Angel says policies are in place when dealing with threats and drugs on campuses.

Angel said the board will bring up the issues at their March 14 meeting.

"We are going to look into these policies and find out what needed to be a right to be addressed very strictly, and what needs to be modified," she said. "Our schools in general need our help. This is a concerted effort of all the stakeholders of our community, that we contribute what we can contribute to the school community so that students, our students are taken care of taken care, get it off, and they were really, they will really enjoy the fun learning without so much challenges, without so much problems that actually are besetting them right now."

Additionally, the education oversight chair chimed in on the recent case where a teacher was charged with sexual abuse, and sharing concern over one of the cases that was reported against the teacher back in 2018.

"I just want to let the public know that I've reached out to GDOE, I've reached out to the Guam Police Department to find out the protocols in place," he said. "I hope whoever took these complaints is having a hard time sleeping, because if we had entertained these complaints when they were lodged, you know, five years ago, we could have stopped a lot of the things that you're reading about in the news. And so I'm giving my commitment to the public that I'm gonna find the answers, and I'm gonna do what I can legislatively to remedy that situation."