Southern High pulled from ARP-funded refurbishment; library, gym remain closed amid procurement and scope issues

Southern High School was removed from a planned American Rescue Plan (ARP)-funded refurbishment package after department officials said a contract scope discrepancy required the package to be rebid, leaving the school with multiple cordoned areas and closed amenities, officials and community members said at a Feb. 25 town hall.

Principal Michael Meno and Superintendent Dr. Eric Swanson told community members the school was initially included in an ARP-funded refurbishment bundle but was taken out after the Attorney General’s Office determined that scope language for canopies and other items was inconsistent across the bundled contracts and that changing the scope for one school would require rebidding the entire package. Dr. Swanson said the proposed package for Southern High had been priced at about $24,000,000.

Why it matters: Community members, students and teachers said the school’s library, gymnasium and other spaces remain cordoned off and limit student activities and school culture. School leaders said the closures affect assemblies, sports practice and graduation preparations and that a large share of the school—about 60%—remains impacted by inspection findings and cordons.

Closed spaces and repairs: Facilities manager Jim Pangolinan and Principal Meno described the conditions that keep the library and gym closed: nonfunctioning air-conditioning units, doors and humidity issues that create failing points in public-health inspections. Pangolinan said the department has identified materials on-site and about $1,000,000 set aside for materials and labor to move specific areas toward reinspection and hoped to have key areas re-inspected by June. He added procurement steps remain in process.

Mold work and air-quality testing: The town hall also addressed mold mitigation. Officials said mold mitigation procurement is being handled by the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal/GSA processes, and that work was under protest; the department said it is pushing for targeted air-quality testing as a first step and that the results will determine mitigation steps. "The first priority they want to do is do the air quality control that will identify what school has more," said Pangolinan.

Auditorium and tax credits: Community members asked about a public law offering tax credits for vendors to help refurbish the school auditorium; speakers identified that as Public Law 35-143 and said two vendors had responded in the past but that nothing further had occurred at the school level. Principal Meno said the school had previously pursued tax-credit funding for air conditioning and auditorium repairs through past legislative efforts but had not seen action on those proposals.

Staff time and unpaid work: Parents and community members asked whether staff and volunteers who worked extra hours during inspection season were compensated. Officials said no compensation was provided for overtime or volunteer hours associated with preparing schools for inspection because the department did not have budget authority to do so across all campuses.

Timeline and next steps: Superintendent Swanson described the chronology: the procurement and scope issues were identified in mid-2024 after bids were returned and an AG review of bundled contracts found inconsistencies, which prevented adding Southern High back into the awarded package without rebidding. Officials said they are pursuing other capital-improvement options, asking the legislature for local funding and preparing targeted repairs that can be done without rebidding the entire package. School leadership said they will continue to press for priority work on the gym, library and nurse's office and to seek funding for larger capital projects such as sports fields and auditorium renovations.

Community reaction: Students, parents and the athletic director told legislators and department staff they remain frustrated and worried that persistent procurement and funding problems have delayed needed work. The board chair and superintendent said they would continue pursuing both procurement and alternative funding routes, and that they hear community concerns.