Is the Guam Department of Education sitting idly by, as federal dollars to build a temporary home for the Simon Sanchez Sharks are ready for the taking?

“They have 20 million dollars waiting for a signature for the temporary school to be put up at the footprint of Simon Sanchez to help reduce the double sessions, ready to go,” said Guam Congressman James Moylan. 

Moylan recently met with FEMA Region 9 Administrator, Robert Fenton, to discuss federal assistance for the island with Fenton revealing GDOE still has yet to sign documents needed to access those funds. 

“Saipan got it! And Saipan, from what I understand from FEMA, put it up in 90 days! I’ve seen pictures of the place, and it’s beautiful. It would be really good. And at the end, it could probably be property of Guam,” added Moylan. 

GDOE Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Swanson explained  the hold-up, with the department following guidance from local emergency officials.

“We’ve been asked to hold off on signing that while details of the arrangements are being worked out. I expect that we’ll get finalized documentation if not sometime this afternoon, but sometime tomorrow morning…I’ve seen a draft, I’m in agreement with it, but we have to work through some details with FEMA,” said Swanson. 

Meantime, the situation gains urgency amid the Trump Administration’s plan to phase out FEMA following this year’s hurricane season, a move that would still need Congressional approval.

“FEMA is being looked at as you know, no longer having that department there. Not that the money won’t be there, but the department—so he’s trying to spend it down as much as possible,” said Moylan. 

Meanwhile, the process to select a developer for the new Simon Sanchez High School recently reached its final phase with Core Tech International Corporation recommended for negotiations.

For now, Simon Sanchez students remain in double sessions, sharing campus space with John F. Kennedy High School.