Guam Department of Education (GDOE) Headquarters in Tiyan, Guam. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Naina Rao/ KPRG 89.3 FM
Chaos marked the start of the new school year in Guam, with 18 out of 41 Guam Department of Education (GDOE) campuses failing to clear health inspections in time for August re-openings.
We have schools that are safe, but can they pass an inspection today? Probably not," an administrator for student support services Chris Anderson said while speaking at an emergency legislative session.
Lawmakers debated reopening schools despite failed inspections to avoid disrupting the academic year. Senator and legislative Speaker Therese Terlaje opposed the idea.
"I don't understand why we would even accept that for our kids, Terlaje said.
Terlaje argued bypassing violations would be absurd if they involved critical issues like rat infestations or leaking roofs.
"It's why we came here in the first place," the Speaker said.
These issues are part of a long history of problems at GDOE-broken facilities, safety hazards, and more.
Maintenance issues, teacher shortages
In 2007, the US federal government cited GDOE for mismanaging grant funds. Two years later in 2009, there was a marked lack of progress by the Guam DOE in addressing fiscal management deficiencies.
As reported by the Pacific News Center, that same year Guam Fire Department chief Dave Peredo told senators that GFD inspected 36 schools, and not one, except for the new schools, have fully functional fire alarm and sprinkler systems.
Maintenance issues persisted, compounded by teacher shortages. Fast forward to 2017, alumna Sara Garcia was disappointed to find her alma mater, Simon Sanchez High School, in continued disrepair.
She told KUAM News that some classrooms, there were holes on the ceilings.
"Some of the students were sent to pick up resources or books, wet with mold. Am I going to a, kind of, third-world country school?" she said.
Things worsened after Typhoon Mawar damaged the aging campus last year, forcing students into double sessions at another high school.
Guam's Office of Public Accountability still considers GDOE as a high-risk grantee.
They told RNZ Pacific that this may be the case for a few more years due to late reporting and audit submissions, with a lot of problems.
Toll on students
Parent Laticia Santos, whose kids started school two weeks late, shared the challenges.
"It takes a toll on the student because of a time change. You're so used to starting in the morning and then, so they start in the afternoon now, so that's the difference, and then their sleeping habits have changed a lot."
Single parent Annaliza Sahagon struggles with her kids attending school online.
"Who's gonna watch them, right?"
Sahagon works full-time and can't bring her kids to work, while her eldest starts middle school online due to delayed reopenings.
"It's hard. If I don't work, I can't pay my bills," Sahagon said.
'I cannot manage DOE's leadership' - Governor
In early August, the education board declared a state of emergency for GDOE.
Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero held a special public address reiterating her lack of power to govern the department because of the Organic Act of Guam.
The Act is a federal law passed by U.S. Congress that made Guam a US territory with its own government and gave the people US citizenship.
It's not a constitution, but it's like a constitution. The governor noted that before 1986, the Organic Act gave her office control over public schools. But amendments shifted that power to the legislature.
"I cannot manage DOE's leadership, deploy its personnel, direct its finances, or correct its policy," she said.
Right after that, she proposed legislation to grant her authority over the department until 2026.
Senator and Education Oversight Committee chair, Chris Barnett, criticised the governor's approach, stating she already has the authority to assist schools.
"You know, unfortunately, she never used that authority. And, in fact, this governor, lieutenant governor, campaigned on fixing the schools in 2018 and in 2022," Barnett said.
The governor argues that using resources from various agencies is just a temporary fix.
But something else happened: after the governor assembled a school readiness opening team, or SORT, which essentially mobilised government agencies to help get public schools ready for inspection, over half of the campuses and facilities passed inspections or renewed their sanitary permits within weeks.
Guam Education Board vice-chair Angel Sablan thanked everyone involved, including Public Health, school staff, volunteers, and the community.
"And all the different agencies from the government of Guam that have come forth and put personnel from their own agencies to be in these schools daily to assist in whatever it is that we need," Sablan said.
GDOE officials responded in laughter when asked how they were able to pass inspections and secure permits in just a few weeks, after dragging out the process for years.
A non-GDOE attendee said the difference was pressure. And officials did not further comment on that.
When RNZ Pacific asked if GDOE needs continued pressure to keep inspections on track, education superintendent Erik Swanson said: "No it does not."
But offered no details on how to prevent future delays from happening again.
H.B. Price Elementary School Building in Mangilao, GU. As of Aug. 29, the campus is still pending an inspection. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Naina Rao/ KPRG 89.3 FM
For parents like Myracle, whose autistic son is struggling with the disruption, the impact is clear.
"He's gonna have to re-acclimate twice, once going to this alternate school, and then again when he goes back to Price," Myracle said.
Price as in H.B. Price Elementary School located in central Guam.
It's pending inspection. So her son is in a double-session elementary school elsewhere.
"It's a situation that I'm more nervous about. For him, it's the routine."
When asked GDOE whether they are offering any accommodations to parents right now.
Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and instructional improvement, Joe Sanchez, said the department cannot watch the kids for the parents.
"Our approach has not been to be punitive. So we're not referring them to the attendance officers. At the same time, you know, it is their responsibility to attend class," Sanchez said.
He noted that the option to pick up physical copies of academic instructional materials is available for students.
"That flexibility is definitely there. For the parents of special education students. You know, again, we've offered that opportunity to transfer to schools that are on a daily basis."
While other families who have spoken to Sanchez said they will stick with online classes until schools physically re-open.
Myracle, juggling work and parenting, noted the irony of the situation.
"I have to pay rent. The expectation for me to pay is at the first of every month, is kind of similar to the expectation that school will start."
Parents are notified of certain changes with plenty of time to spare.
"So what if I go up to my landlord and be like, well, I changed my husband so my payment will be a month late. And by the way, I changed my bank too, so the system's different. So instead of paying you the way you want to pay, you might have to wait a little bit longer, you know, I would probably get kicked out," Myracle said.
Myracle shared a parent's vow: they will do whatever it takes to meet deadlines for their kids' education-no excuses.
"But then when the other party changes their mind and changes their dates and affects our schedules and our lives. We have to be able to just be, that's cool. Okay. Sure, I'll go to the orientation you just announced yesterday."
The governor's office maintains that the Organic Act limits her control over GDOE.
