Guam’s public school students should expect to return to their classrooms sooner now that four education related bills have become law.

After stamping Public Law 37-4 as legislation that paralyzes Guam Department of Education schools from reopening this upcoming school year, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed the bills passed by senators during this week’s emergency session to allow students to return.

Of the four bills, Sen. Dwayne San Nicolas’ Bill No. 158 allows campuses to open immediately this upcoming school year.

It also gives GDOE Superintendent Kenneth Swanson the authority to deem a campus operational even after failing an inspection from the Department of Public Health.

Sen. San Nicolas, a former school counselor, said the intent of the legislation is to not delay the new school year any further.

"We need to get these students to attend classes face to face on school grounds safely, of course," said San Nicolas.

He adds this new law does not waive any of the requirements posed by Public Laws 37-4 and 37-26 like required inspections for the island's public school system, stating it'll just be conducted when the responsible government of Guam agencies are able to get to it.

Additionally. The bi-partisan Bill No. 159 reverts GDOE’s compliance timeline to meet the health and sanitation mandates back to school year 2025-2025, as it was originally before the passages of Public Law 37-4.

“Everything that we fought hard for, the new standard that we set for safe and sanitary schools has been kicked down the road until next year,” said Sen. Chris Barnett in a social media post. “Obviously, I am very disappointed with this turn of events.”

Barnett, the education committee chairperson, is the author of the law that moved up the timeline requirements.

Both 158 and 159 require the Superintendent of Education to submit a monthly status report to the.

Among other measures, Spkr. Therese Terlaje’s Bill No. 156 will expedite the review of school sanitation variance applications, while Sen. Joe San Agustin’s Bill No. 91 will allow GDOE to hire and fill its facilities and maintenance personnel vacancies.

“None of these measures is a panacea for the challenges that face our public schools, but at least GDOE can meet these challenges without the unreasonable burden of an arbitrary timeline—one that changed from one legislature to the next,” said Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero. “For the past several weeks, a community-wide effort engaging a myriad of organizations, government agencies, and the Guam National Guard has worked to help GDOE prepare our public schools for the opening of the school year.”