Just six months ago, long-awaited repairs at Agueda Johnston Middle School finally began, projects decades overdue.

“Exterior door replacement, restroom renovation, crack and spall repair, that includes roof coating, electrical upgrades,” said Capital Improvement Project Program Manager at GDOE, Nikolas Cruz.

Now, with summer in full swing, signs of progress are hard to miss. At the Ordot campus, crack and spall repairs and roof coating are all done.

And half the school’s restrooms? Already renovated.

“Take a look at the restroom that’s there now versus what we had before–all the kids on Guam deserve something like this, not only the restroom, but the entire school. It’s just sad that politics or whatever has to come into play,” said Jimmy Pangelinan, who is the Manager of Facilities and Maintenance at GDOE.

Agueda is just one of a dozen schools slated for refurbishment, all funded through millions from the American Rescue Plan.

But that momentum took a hit.

As KUAM reported, the U.S. Department of Education effectively revoked GDOE’s access to those funds, triggering a 45-day work pause ordered by contractor Core Tech International.

That pause came with consequences.

Once the pause letter came out, they had to put a stop to all exterior doors and kind of just focus on the restrooms…A lot of work has already started, especially at Agueda and other schools, and they can’t just stop where they left off–they kind of have to put the school into a place where it’s safe to attend summer school or even the next school year,” said Cruz.

GDOE is now appealing the federal denial of its liquidation request, leaving the future of these projects in limbo.

Repairs at other campuses, including restroom work beyond Agueda and George Washington High are now on thin ice. This, even as restrooms continue to raise red flags during public health inspections.

Yet amid the uncertainty, GDOE officials credit Core Tech for staying the course.

“We’re grateful Coretech is able to accommodate us. Every week we meet, we are very embarrassed that we have not been able to pay them. What’s good about it is that this company, despite that, continues to help us…If they say, hey, stop, they would have just left those materials in the bathroom open and left us hanging, and we won’t be able to meet the requirements for inspection. We’re really grateful,” said GDOE Deputy Superintendent of Assessment and Accountability, Dr. Leah Beth Naholowaa.

Meanwhile, frustration is seemingly mounting, in a letter to GDOE Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Swanson, Oversight Chair on Education Senator Vince Borja, claimed that the department has ignored or delayed federal guidance from USDOE on submitting proper appeal documentation.

Still Dr. Swanson pushed back, stating, “That some of the claims made in the senator’s letter, particularly regarding an alleged lack of timely responses, are inaccurate. All proposals have been submitted within the required timelines, with copies provided to all relevant parties.”

And as the stalemate drags on, GDOE told KUAM it is now exploring legal options.