HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Much of the uncertainty surrounding which public schools would be open for in-person instruction Aug. 9 has to do with when sanitary inspections would occur.
There are 40 Guam Department of Education school sanitary permits that have expired and a shortage of inspectors at the Department of Public Health and Social Services.
It has been a few short months since Public Law 37-4 passed in April. So far, all but one GDOE schools aren’t permitted for in-person operations.
During a community input session with stakeholders on Thursday, GDOE officials said one of the options they are implementing to ensure students can start school on Aug. 9 is double sessions.
Variances
Under P.L. 37-4, it’s mandated that all variances requested from Public Health be reported to the Legislature, but according to Sen. Chris Barnett, the agency is way behind in reviewing, approving or denying these variances.
“We’re really in this situation, I think, because of the shortage of Public Health inspectors, critical personnel, that we can’t really get an accurate read to give our parents and stakeholders timely information because we’re kind of being held up by whether or not Public Health is going to approve these variances,” Barnett said.
Barnett said Public Health has the ability to grant variances for any situation at a school in the process of becoming remedied to come into compliance with the law.
“A school can get a variance for (the entirety) or part of a campus that has corrective action underway, or not in use by the faculty, staff or students. I believe that Public Health can grant that variance,” Barnett told The Guam Daily Post Friday.
He implored the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration to work with GDOE and give Public Health the ability and power to do what it has to do.
“Granted, there’s a lot of work to do at the school level before we even think about campuses that are ready to be inspected by Public Health, so I do know that GDOE is focusing on that right now,” Barnett said. “But like I said, variances are pretty backed up, so I don’t know if it’s the same personnel that look at that and … the same people that inspect schools. But we are dealing with a backlog in processing these variances and I’ve heard these grumblings from principals.”
But not once was the variance clause mentioned during GDOE’s meeting with stakeholders. GDOE also didn’t identify any schools by name in a three-phase reopening plan that was released.
Many parents who attended GDOE’s community input session on Thursday left with very few answers about whether their children’s respective schools would be among the 17 projected to be ready to open for in-person learning come Aug. 9, or two weeks later, if they are inspected and found suitable for occupancy.
Online instruction
GDOE officials stressed that online instruction would be a last resort, noting its poor results as a mode of learning for students during COVID-19. Barnett, who listened in on the meeting, saw the disclosure as more of a tactic.
“In all of my discussions with the deputy superintendents, including Erika Cruz and Joseph Sanchez, and even the new superintendent Dr. (Kenneth) Swanson, I was informed that online would be the last resort, relative to how we are going to move forward in opening schools,” Barnett said. “I was a little disappointed in watching the town hall … because it almost seemed like they were using the threat of full online learning for students to, I think, to convince parents to pressure the Legislature for whatever reason.”
During the meeting, as parents shared concerns over who would watch their children if online learning was an option, GDOE officials, including Cruz, empathized and agreed with parents about the stress it would cause.
“When I watched the meeting I saw … Cruz (asking) parents, ‘Who is going to watch your kids if the schools close?’ I just felt it was a little disingenuous of GDOE. We are so late in the game, the timing for finger-pointing and blaming has passed. It’s time to put our nose to the ground and do the work, so I didn’t appreciate that,” Barnett said.
Although GDOE officials refused to provide definite answers to parents at the meeting about when each campus would open, they did note they were hoping for a political solution and stressed to parents to make their voices heard with lawmakers and at the upcoming roundtable discussion Tuesday with the attorney general’s office.
Barnett told the Post that he didn’t think the Legislature could do much at this point and commended GDOE for its efforts.
“I commend the hard work of GDOE but it looks like the ball is rolling and we are going to get this done. Is it going to happen on time? Honestly, I don’t think so,” Barnett said. “I think GDOE has to do a better job of relaying information. If they don’t have information to share with the parents and stakeholders, then have a town hall when you do have that information. I am just getting overwhelmed by the hundreds of people that attended that meeting and basically walked away with feelings of anxiety and frustration.”
Luis P. Untalan Middle School, shown Friday, July 14, 2023, in Barrigada, is one of many public schools awaiting a health and safety inspection before stakeholders know when it will reopen for in-person instruction.
