The Guam Department of Education has eight priority goals as part of its 5 -year strategic plan.

GDOE leaders participated in a week-long training with the Regent 18 Comprehensive Center to put together milestones to implement that plan.

It’s a much-needed re-focus amid the roadblock that was Typhoon Mawar—as facilities and maintenance is one of those eight priorities.

Joe Sanchez, GDOE deputy superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction detailed some of the hurdles.

“The biggest thing that we’re concerned with right now is really, the facilities—that took a big hit–there’s a lot of water damage, there's a lot of debris in our schools," Even prior to Mawar—we were having challenges with our facilities, and we were really working towards passing our public health inspections, so I believe those are continuing this year.”

This is as the majority of the Guam Education Board voted in favor of resolution 2023-07—a request for a one-year extension for GDOE regarding public law 37-4, as a result of Typhoon Mawar.

“We all know that the mandates of public law 37-4 sets us up for failure," Board member Angel Sablan said. "There is no possible way that all the schools can be inspected before the opening, and there’s no way that schools found with a 'D' rating would be able to come back within such a timeframe to be reinspected.”

It’s a motion that Sanchez said he’s all for—as schools continue to work on readiness and mitigating damages from the storm in time for school reopenings.

“I’m definitely in support of that because I’m aware of the timeline that Public Health has given us with regards to their abilities to provide inspections," he said.

GEB board members emphasized even under the resolution; school inspections will continue– as the resolution includes stipulations for the incoming GDOE superintendent should the extension be granted.

“So, we put it in there—that he has to make a report to this board every month beginning July of this year–as to the status of every single school—what they are doing and what they are not doing to meet public law 37-4," Sablan said.

Still, GEB Vice Chair Maria Gutierrez was the sole vote against the resolution.

“Nothing has happened–taya-nothing! It’s the same old thing," she said. "So, I have an issue that when this public law is suspended, DOE management is gonna sit back and say, “Oh, that’s OK because it’s suspended.”

Now the fate of whether or not GDOE will be thrown a lifeline awaits review by the 37th Guam Legislature.