The state of public schools is deplorable, according to Sen. Jesse Lujan. Public schools are plagued with chronic issues that he hopes to have addressed immediately by asking the governor to declare a state of emergency for the Guam Department of Education.
Lujan sent a letter making the request to Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero Tuesday, but by Wednesday afternoon she was still reviewing the request.
“It remains unclear … what exactly Sen. Lujan is hoping an emergency declaration will accomplish. Gov. Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. (Josh) Tenorio have been in regular communication with GDOE leadership for a whole of government response,” Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the governor’s communications director, told The Guam Daily Post.
In his letter, Lujan addressed recent concerns about the safety at the island’s schools and noted that GDOE is not being penalized for sanitary violations, which he characterized as abuse.
He also wrote that too many public schools are failing the few standard inspections that are actually being conducted.
It was recently disclosed that Simon Sanchez High School maintained a valid sanitary permit despite not having a recent inspection done by the Department of Public Health and Social Services since initially applying for the permit. Last month, school officials showed lawmakers the Yigo campus was infested with rats.
Lujan believes declaring a state of emergency will bring solutions to address issues such as these.
“I believe if you marshal the resources and flexibility available under a state of emergency declaration, you can ensure the necessary resources are quickly activated and immediate progress can take place. Our children deserve nothing less,” Lujan wrote in the letter.
The returning lawmaker isn’t in favor of legislative actions like roundtables, and would rather see quick action to repair and improve school facilities.
“I hope the governor will act on my request so we can begin to have GDOE turn things around,” Lujan said in a release.
Paco-San Agustin, meanwhile, said there is money available to address these immediate concerns.
“GDOE has over $100 million in funds that can be used to repair schools but its biggest challenge is with the procurement process. An emergency declaration will not address their procurement issues,” said Paco-San Agustin.
By: Taylor Rose Toves
Source: The Guam Daily Post