Guam Board of Education Chairperson Judith Guthertz said Monday she would like the chair of the Legislature’s Committee on Education to call an immediate oversight hearing for the Department of Public Health’s Environmental Health Division.
Guthertz said she was upset because people on a radio talk show were making fun of the Education Department for installing air conditioning in school restrooms, but the department is merely complying with Public Health regulations.
She said the oversight hearing should be called, “with the goal of determining whether or not these regulations make sense. That is the source of many of the difficulties that we have experienced over the last few months.”
The Tiyan High School campus, which also housed students from Simon Sanchez High School, was closed by Public Health shortly after the school year began in August, leading to double sessions and emergency repairs.
She wanted the public to know the idea for cooler bathrooms did not come from the Education Department.
“People in the community don't understand this, that we have to honor those regulations, no matter whether or not they make sense,” she said, questioning whether air conditioning in restrooms would affect student learning. “I take great exception to the lack of clarification on the part of the media that do not understand where these regulations come from.”
She said air conditioning is also being installed at University of Guam restrooms.
“Can you imagine what the costs are going to be for DOE? We have to do this in every school, in every bathroom, and at the university and at GCC. Why could we not put ceiling fans? Would that not help?” she asked. “Split units, the cost of retrofitting the electrical requirements, the installation costs, the material costs, the equipment costs. I'd rather use that money in the classrooms.”
Because the matter could not be addressed during Monday’s emergency meeting for the department’s spending plan, Guthertz asked that it be placed on the board agenda for the upcoming Nov. 17 meeting.
The board will consider whether to ask the superintendent to request an oversight hearing on the Public Health requirements.
