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GDOE says it will end double sessions next year; FEMA temporary classrooms and reconfiguration proposed for Simon Sanchez and FBLG
Summary
Superintendent Judy Wanet told senators GDOE plans to lift double sessions next school year through a mix of campus reconfiguration (temporary joint campus at Teden and Sanchez), FEMA-funded temporary classrooms and use of lapse funds for collateral equipment; GDOE asked the Legislature for flexible lapse-use language.
Guam Department of Education officials told the Legislature on March 9 that they plan to end multi-year double-session schedules for students and return to full-time schedules next school year.
Superintendent Judy Wanet said officials are coordinating facilities, transportation and staffing to make the change feasible. "We will lift the double session for next school year," she told senators and staff, adding that principals are actively developing master schedules and that the department hopes to announce final plans in late March or early April.
GDOE described a range of short- and medium-term steps to create space for regular schedules. For Simon Sanchez High School, the department proposed a temporary consolidation with Teden High School (sharing courses and career-pathway resources) while using FEMA-funded temporary classrooms and renovated Guam Housing Corporation units to house displaced students. Agency testimony said Cortech had been awarded a turnkey contract for 20 temporary classrooms near FBLG and that FEMA money (reported as an $8 million deposit) and scheduled turnover dates (June—July targets) are part of the timeline.
For FBLG Middle School, GDOE reported 89.44% completion on renovations but identified outstanding scope items (fire suppression/alarm, gym work, electrical connection and collateral equipment such as cafeteria appliances and Promethean boards) that could require lapse funding if federal ARP rules do not permit later invoice coverage.
Deputy Superintendent for Finance Franklin Leang Guerrero and board members told senators the department is asking the Legislature to amend lapse-use language to permit spending on continuous infrastructure renovation, ADA compliance, collateral instructional equipment and other identified priorities so the department can bridge gaps if federal reimbursements cannot cover late invoices.
Lawmakers signaled conditional support for changes but asked GDOE for a detailed spend plan and line-item costs before any statutory amendment. Committee members also pressed GDOE on procurement thresholds: the department requested raising the simplified acquisition threshold (proposed $500,000) to reduce delays for projects that commonly exceed current local thresholds.
If the plan to end double sessions proceeds, GDOE said parents could expect fuller instructional days, expanded after-school enrichment and reduction of chronic absenteeism tied to split schedules. The committee requested implementation milestones and budget details ahead of budget deliberations.
