HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Department of Education is in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding funding for a temporary facility for Simon Sanchez High School students, which would be 90% funded by FEMA and 10% by GDOE, according to Superintendent Kenneth Erik Swanson, who appeared before lawmakers on Tuesday for an oversight hearing covering the SSHS situation, GDOE’s rightsizing initiative and other matters involving the education department.
Due to the condition of their campus, SSHS students are having to use the John F. Kennedy High School campus under a double-session schedule with JFK students.
“We understand, and we agree, that the dual schedule piggyback environment that our Simon Sanchez kids are in at JFK is not good for the JFK student body or the Simon Sanchez student body in the long term,” Swanson said Tuesday.
GDOE is working on two different options, he said. One involves working with federal agencies to stand up a temporary SSHS campus. The other is to identify some other configuration so that SSHS students have a longer instructional day more conducive to normal high school activities, should the temporary campus not come through.
Swanson estimated the temporary campus would operate for three to five years, based on GDOE’s estimate on the construction time for a new SSHS campus, which has been a long-standing project for the government and the SSHS community.
GDOE has identified four areas where the temporary facility could be located:
- Adjacent property by SSHS and F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School in Yigo.
- Adjacent property by Okkodo High School in Dededo.
- Adjacent property by George Washington High School in Mangilao.
- Adjacent property by JFK High School in Tumon.
Swanson said the temporary campus could be colocated with an existing high school so the two schools can share cafeteria, gymnasium and library facilities.
“We are currently looking at (the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) doing an evaluation on adjacent property to Simon Sanchez and FBLG that belongs to the housing department. We’re also looking at Okkodo High School campus, George Washington High School campus and JFK,” Swanson said Tuesday.
“We don’t have that evaluation back yet, but as soon as we do, we’ll move into further discussion about siting and engineering studies. There’s a lot that has to be done with things like drainage and sewage and water and all of those kinds of things. That’s a work in progress at this time. We’re getting good support from all of the agencies affiliated with (Guam Homeland Security) and with FEMA,” the superintendent added.
At one point during the hearing, Sen. Chris Barnett, chair of the legislative committee on education, asked Swanson if there was any discussion about using Chief Brodie Memorial Elementary School as a temporary SSHS campus while the education department goes through rightsizing its schools, as the elementary school sits next to JFK.
Swanson said that’s on the table, but there has been no decision, with many moving parts before GDOE at the moment. If FEMA funding is obtained and GDOE can find a location where the entire SSHS student body can be situated, he said he believed that would be the preferred outcome.
“I would prefer not to consider (dissolving the SSHS student body). I’m very much tuned to the sentiment behind continuing the school itself as a school and getting the (new school) built,” Swanson said.
The construction of a new SSHS campus is waiting on the procurement of construction management services.
The Department of Public Works has received several responses from interested parties, but the Office of the Governor has laid blame upon the Office of the Attorney General for holding up the procurement because of Attorney General Douglas Moylan’s decision to withdraw legal representation from agencies under investigation by his office based on a conflict concern.
Deputy Attorney General Darlow Graham Botha has told The Guam Daily Post that DPW is supposed to be convening a panel to review bids and that the AG has no say in who sits on the panel. Moylan also has stated that his office will continue to review and approve procurement documents, just not as legal counsel for the government, although Adelup contends that is illegal.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has asked the Supreme Court of Guam to determine whether the AG can withdraw legal representation from government agencies, and other related questions.
On Tuesday, Swanson said three GDOE projects are with DPW, and he has correspondence stating they are on hold because of OAG review: mold mitigation, a fencing contract and SSHS construction management services.
Barnett said he spoke with the AG, who indicated he had assigned an attorney to review GDOE contracts. Swanson said he is aware an attorney was assigned, but added that the last information he received from DPW was that the projects were on hold.
Rightsizing
Swanson also discussed GDOE’s initiative to rightsize the district.
“We’re all aware that we have a lot more classroom space than we have kids. That’s what’s the driver,” Swanson said.
Student enrollment trends have been going down over the last decade, according to Swanson. GDOE’s capacity is built for more than 31,000 students, but the department is now down to about 24,000 students, and maintaining facilities has been a challenge, Swanson said.
GDOE is looking at short-term and long-term goals for this initiative, including determining the need, process, criteria and timeline for the decommissioning of schools under the former, and the implementation of the process, criteria and timeline over the next one to three school years for the latter.
The department is beginning community presentations this week, with the first community informational briefing and input session having been scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Southern High School.
Military buildup
While GDOE is looking to rightsize the district, Swanson said some capacity may come back due to an influx of military in later years.
The military population on Guam is expected to grow to about 34,500 military members and dependents by 2028 and then up to 44,000 by 2037.
“The most recent thing I have seen was as of yesterday at the governor’s office is a graphic that was put out by the (Department of Defense) that shows the growth impact for schools to be in (fiscal years) 2028 to 2029. So we need to be aware that we could have to reopen some of the facilities,” Swanson said.
Swanson said GDOE is trying to stay away from using the word “closing” and is instead using “decommissioning” for schools, partly because of this potential future capacity need.
However, Swanson also said his information avenues from the Department of Defense Education Activity “have all gone silent,” with the most recent information being the DOD graphic provided to the governor’s office that discusses where and when defense spending will occur.
“Schools doesn’t start until FY28. That tells me that the DODEA (military construction) budget is two or three years out and the rest of it is going to be up to us,” Swanson said.
“That’s why I’m trying to build in that 10% to 15% flexibility on every campus, so, no matter where families settle down, we’ve got school space for them,” he added.
Swanson would later say that GDOE’s focus includes keeping schools active in terms of maintenance and custodial care in case they are needed.
“The added piece to that is perhaps we consolidate one or two schools, spend the time renovating them, so that if we have to reopen them, they’re ready to go. I’m hoping we can get better information from our defense partners. … But right now, that information is thin,” Swanson added.
