Guam Education Board addresses ending double sessions by next year

No more double sessions next school year, that’s the goal education officials stressed at Tuesday night’s Guam Education Board meeting.

A committee chaired by Board Member Maria Gutierrez tasked with preparing a study of viable options to end the schedules, with findings due in September.

One possibility for Simon Sanchez? A previously discussed FEMA project.

“The Governor’s Office went ahead and told FEMA that we’ll go ahead and do the 20 classrooms,” said GEB Chair Angel Sablan. “If we need it for SHS, then it will be there. If we don’t need it for SHS because of the options that Ms. G comes up with in September, at least those classrooms will be there to be used for the Guam Housing Corporation, which is part of the FEMA conditions.”

Meanwhile, for the F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School community, renovations are slated for completion by March 2026.

Nikolas Cruz, Capital Improvement Project Program Manager at GDOE, says American Rescue Plan funds are on track to cover the costs, though that does not include the more than $3 million tied to change Order No. 2.

“Mostly, they were typhoon Mawar damages–the majority of it is air conditioning units. When GPA did the scope of work for FBLG, they only indicated units that went down; however, during Typhoon Mawar, the other units ended up breaking. The other one was interior doors damaged by typhoon Mawar—the beginning of the project FBLG was broken into and wires were stolen–that is inclusive of the change order, and a bunch of other items as well,” said Cruz. 

As for decommissioned schools, Sablan adds the authority to lease GDOE property rests with the legislature. 

He also tasked GEB member Dr. Judith Guthertz with leading a committee to explore possible uses for those facilities.

And also big news coming out of that Tuesday meeting: Come Aug. 25, the job announcement for the position of superintendent of the Guam Department of Education will be open.

This again, as Superintendent Swanson announced his resignation effective Dec. 31, citing health concerns.