It’s been a desperate call for guidance on how to navigate this upcoming school year from Guam Department of Education stakeholders lately. Many of them voiced their concerns during public forums - torn between not wanting to send their children back to poor conditioned schools and opposing online instruction.

With a little over two weeks until classes are expected to be back in session, the question still hangs in the air: what is the finalized alternative plan if students can’t do in-person learning come next month? GDOE deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction Joe Sanchez said, “Just know that right now, online instruction is not necessarily off the table, but it really is kind of the last resort. We really want to demonstrate to the community that we are taking their concerns seriously. We know that, obviously, there are going to be a lot more families out there that are going to need more help than just the device and internet connectivity. So really, again, we’re trying to make online instruction the last resort. We’re looking at those double sessions; we’re looking at double sessions within themselves, if we could get partial approval—again, that’s something that public health would have to consider.”

Still, with only two GDOE schools passing public health inspections so far, KUAM News asked Sanchez again how likely online learning could be.

“We’re really trying as much as we can to get face-to-face instruction. Even if that results in kind of a later start by a few weeks or maybe even double or maybe even double sessions with some of the schools that might be able to open," Sanchez responded. "Obviously, it won’t be a lot. So, if you’re looking at maybe–we get the next two or three schools open, that’s five schools. Well, we already have schools potentially paired up based on distance, right? So if any of those schools fall into one of those categories, or hey, you have a school kind of next door, we’re gonna try and work with them on actually providing a double session or alternating days or something of that resort.”

It’s all options Guam DOE has already presented to the community. Still, Sanchez was able to provide more concrete progress with school inspections, as more schools in Phase I, like John F. Kennedy High, are asking for reinspections. Public Health is now with a wider capacity to do so, with Sanchez noting, “Public Health has actually increased its capacity. So, they’re looking at possibly doing three schools a week, so we’re really looking at definitely picking up the pace in terms of all of our schools."

He says there’s even hope for PHASE III schools to move up to Phase II, should Public Health allow partial operations for some campuses.

But with no finality so far, Sanchez says as August 9 approaches, the likelihood of pushing the start date back is better than immediately going online, emphasizing that decision has yet to be made. And as for concerns with low enrollment as parents are unable to register students at closed-off campuses, he said, “That’s one of our major concerns is when you have all of these logistical challenges. When you can’t go on campus, and you can’t have parents register there, you have a limited opportunity for them to register.

"If it is online instruction, again, that’s also kind of a limited approach that not many people are going to be able to avail themselves of. So, really, definitely, student registration and total attendance is going to be a major issue, and it’s definitely a major concern for us.”

The deputy superintendent says more solid answers will be available following tomorrow afternoon’s Guam Education Board meeting.