HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Less than a week before the start of the school year, only six public schools have passed the sanitary building code inspection.
The Guam Department of Education announced Talo’fo’fo’ Elementary and Tiyan High are the latest schools to pass the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services sanitary inspection. The two schools joined John F. Kennedy High, Inalåhan Elementary, Untalan Middle School and Merizo Martyrs Memorial School in meeting Public Health sanitary building code standards.
On July 24, Public Health increased the number of schools it inspects weekly from one to three by deploying three different teams of inspectors to conduct inspections, based on which facilities GDOE indicates are ready.
Talo’fo’fo’ Elementary and Tiyan High were two of three schools up for inspection the week of July 31. GDOE noted Wettengel Elementary was among the scheduled inspections.
The department, however, didn’t disclose the status of the inspection for Wettengel Elementary. Wettengel Elementary students were to be hosted at Maria Ulloa Elementary at the start of the new school year, GDOE said Thursday in a news release regarding school schedules.
Because compliance with the sanitary school building code has been pushed back to next school year, GDOE campuses can be opened at the discretion of the superintendent and Public Health.
At least five of the six schools that are permitted received “C” grades, which means they received between 31 and 40 demerits, just shy of failing inspection.
According to Public Health’s Division of Environmental Health inspection reports, JFK High and Merizo Martyrs Memorial School received 40 demerits each.
The Merizo Martyrs inspection report noted that parts of the campus have been self-condemned by GDOE and the school, meaning the areas have been cordoned off and won’t be used:
B-Wing supply room and B3 workroom.
C-Wing sinks behind C-Wing classrooms.
D-Wing Head Start playground and D7 teacher center.
Three other schools — Inalåhan Elementary, Talo’fo’fo’ Elementary and Untalan Middle — also have self-condemned portions of their schools.
Inalåhan Elementary, which received 31 demerits, has condemned:
Building B 101, 102, 103, 104, 106, 107, 108 and computer room.
Building A 104.
Building C 104.
Basketball court and playground.
Water tank.
Talo’fo’fo’ Elementary, which received 35 demerits, condemned:
Rooms 9, 10, 11, 26, 27, 28, 29 storage room behind 11/CAF.
Electrical room.
CAF managers office.
CAF outside restroom.
Nurse’s office.
Water tank.
Untalan Middle, which received 39 demerits, condemned:
C-Wing: C120, C121, C125, C127.
E-Wing: E107.
Talo’fo’fo’ Elementary School is seen Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023.
