Guam Department of Education officials explained Wednesday that before any island schools are closed, they will try to find alternative uses for the building space.
Education officials addressed lawmakers during an oversight hearing at the Legislature on Wednesday. Sen. Vincent Borja, who chairs the oversight committee, and other lawmakers were concerned that the Board of Education had looked at closing schools in the south.
Because school enrollment has been declining over the past 10 years, and costs to maintain schools has been increasing, education officials began exploring the possible closure and consolidation of schools under the previous superintendent.
Last week, the board voted unanimously not to close any schools during the 2026-27 school year. Members said more data needed to be gathered before changes were made.
But Sen. Chris Barnett said he’d spoken with residents in the south who were concerned that “because it's election year, of course, they're going to table this, everybody's happy, the board's running for re-election, we got board members running for, you know, higher office, so everyone's going to be happy, but what happens when 2028 rolls around? Are we going to be right back in this same situation where you're going to have the southern schools, you know, fighting for their lives?”
Board of Education Chair Judith Guthertz said education officials and senators need to think creatively before schools are closed.
“We don’t want to close any schools,” she said.
She said senators have the power to require agencies to rent space from the Department of Education if the agency's functions are compatible with schools.
She said the Department of Public Health and Social Services could provide services from unused space in village schools, rather than having various services spread out in privately owned rental spaces.
She also suggested the Department of Labor could use space to train workers, and higher education outreach programs could bring their services to villages.
“One in particular I feel very strongly about is our GED program. I'd like to see every person on Guam finish high school, so that they can become more competitive in the job market,” she said.
She said some potential students have trouble getting to the Guam Community College campus, “because they don't have transportation. But I would like to see our young people, and our older people who are not in the job arena today, but who can work, finish their GED, and get skills development right in their village. Training programs right in their village, so that they can fill vacancies that are needed in our community today.”
Guthertz also said cottage industries could also operate out of village schools.
“We're spending tremendous amounts of money on rentals, and I'm not here to hurt landlords, but we need to use our public facilities also, and the school campuses are ideal,” she said.
