HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Over 1,000 air conditioners at Guam Department of Education public schools are inoperable. The situation has led to numerous complaints, students sharing classrooms and students sticking it out in classrooms without proper airflow – and it appears that they will continue to be subjected to the heat until Oct. 1.
In a complaint received by Sen. Chris Barnett, a parent of two Southern High School students reported “teacher and students are being forced to use classrooms with no air conditioning, no fans and no windows while leaders who put them there are sitting in air-conditioned offices.
“Do we honestly expect our students to try and learn anything while in these conditions for hours at a time with only a five-minute transition period in between?” the parent continued.
Another parent wrote, “My son goes to (Untalan Middle School) and they passed inspection, but classroom(s) that my son attend(s) are those without AC. This is really ridiculous, sitting in a class that windows can’t open without AC.”
An Oceanview Middle School parent told the senator her son came home in a sweaty uniform.
“He said almost all his classes did not have working ACs, or they were on, but barely working with no fans. Please help. Sweating our kids out in classes will cause them to be dehydrated, (they will) miss school because they are sick. He was complaining of a headache, as well, but I sent him to school perfectly fine and healthy this morning,” the Oceanview parent reported.
Hot classrooms have forced some teachers to take measures into their own hands.
“I have no air-con in my room and I purchased four fans, but it’s still not enough,” wrote a teacher.
Another GDOE employee reported that ten minutes into covering a class that had no AC resulted in her feeling sick and students not wanting to do their schoolwork.
“The blowers they put into the classroom aren’t even fans. They’re used to dry the floors,” the employee wrote.
Complaint after complaint has been received by Barnett, the Committee on Education chair, as at least 1,166 air conditioners throughout the district were reported inoperable as of July 24.
Here’s the breakdown of some of the inoperable air conditioners at schools, according to the MUNIS and SSR report:
Astumbo Elementary, 26
Benavente Middle, 131
Finegayan Elementary, 84
J.M. Guerrero Elementary, 27
F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle, 66
D.L. Perez Elementary, 40
Simon Sanchez High, 117
Maria Ulloa Elementary, 79
Upi Elementary, 89
Wettengel Elementary, 91
Machanaonao Elementary, 61
Agana Heights Elementary, 35
Chief Brodie Elementary, 141
L.B. Johnson Elementary, 60
Tamuning Elementary, 55
Guam Department of Education officials, however, reported that it may be some time before kids can learn comfortably in classrooms.
“We had from last year a contract for repair, preventive maintenance and some installation that fell short, Phil Toves, from GDOE Facilities and Maintenance, said during the oversight hearing Sept. 8.
He explained that GDOE put up the “allowable 10% increase for a purchase order” for the five-year period, but it wasn’t enough.
“Unfortunately, the down air conditioners and the demand, the amount of ACs we put into a certain building at … Southern High just depleted that contract pretty quickly, so that’s the contract for the repair and preventive maintenance. That contract’s still valid, but there’s no funding available for it until Oct. 1. That’s when the new funding is available,” he said.
There’s also another contract for service, repair and replacement of air conditioners that is sitting at the attorney general’s office and pending the governor’s signature to begin work, he said.
“Capital improvement projects (have) concluded. It was projected … to be ready about mid-September,” Toves reported.
Toves said the procurement is for an all-inclusive five-year contract which includes repair and preventive maintenance, as mandated by law.
L.P. Untalan Middle School is seen Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, in Barrigada.
