Teesen High community demands transparency; board members, senators pledge school will remain open

Teesen High School students, staff and community members packed a town hall on Oct. 28 to demand clarity after a September ad hoc committee video raised the possibility of closing or redistricting the school. Senator Vince Borja, chairperson of the Committee on Education, Libraries and Public Broadcasting, opened the meeting and invited public testimony. Board representatives and several senators repeatedly pledged they would not support closing Teesen.

The meeting focused on an ad hoc committee video shown early in the public comment period that attendees said discussed closure and redistricting without Teesen representation. Kayla Santos, speaking for the Associated Body of Students at Teesen, said the board’s private discussions betrayed public assurances and accused some board members of treating closure as a "solution" to other schools’ problems. "The answer is no one," she said when asked who was protecting Teesen; "the very people that are supposed to safeguard and protect our future are the ones intending to end it."

A Guam Education Board representative responding at the meeting said she was not at the ad hoc session, reported that the ad hoc chair at the time resigned, and asserted publicly that Teesen "is not on the table." The board representative said she and other members were committed to keeping Teesen open and to ending double sessions elsewhere. Senator Chris Barnett echoed that position at the town hall, saying, "Hell no. We're not gonna close Teesen High School," and urged continued public engagement.

Teachers, alumni and staff described Teesen as a distinctive career-academy model with 12 career pathways and the island’s only CTE accreditation. Retired Air Force officer Frank Flores and other educators said the school has produced college scholarships and career placements and called Teesen a model for other Guam high schools. "We have 12 career pathways," Flores said. "People need to understand that, and I think from my perspective as a voter, as a member of this community, we just we really need to see transparency."

Speakers also raised facilities and maintenance concerns tied to the school’s leasehold. Teacher Mariana Hernandez and others said the private leaseholder (identified at the meeting as the school's contractor/landlord) has been slow to complete repairs and maintenance. Sen. Barnett said his staff has received similar complaints and urged the Department of Education to hold the landlord accountable.

Officials agreed on next steps: board members and legislators pledged to keep Teesen open while the district explores options to eliminate double sessions at other schools, and DOE officials said they will follow up with details on facilities and any redistricting work. Superintendent Swanson invited the community to a more detailed State of Education address on Thursday for further budget and facilities information. Principal Sofia Duenas closed the town hall by thanking speakers and repeating that the community’s testimony would inform future decisions.

The town hall did not produce a formal vote or binding action. Legislators and board members committed to continued engagement, promised to pursue maintenance and leasehold issues raised by speakers, and said they would consider legislation to relieve student fundraising accounts of permit costs discussed elsewhere at the meeting.