Two Northern Schools Pass Public Health Inspection

Vicente Benavente Middle and Upi Elementary School to Open

Hagåtña, Guam - Two more northern schools make a passing grade, enabling a return to in-person learning at their respective campuses. This week, the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) completed inspections at Vicente Benavente Middle School in Dededo and Upi Elementary School in Yigo.

At Vicente Benavente Middle, the Governor's School Opening Readiness Team (SORT) was comprised of the Department of Administration (DOA), the Guam Public Library School System (GPLS), the Guam Police Department (GPD), the Guam Power Authority (GPA), and the Civil Service Commission (CSC). They addressed fence repairs, ceiling leaks, replacement of lightbulbs, painting, repairs to water fountains, and removal of hazardous vegetation.

At Upi Elementary School, the Governor's SORT consisted of 50 volunteers from the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and the Guam National Guard (GUNG). They addressed the school's top five demerits: lighting, ventilation and temperature, water supply, plumbing, and building issues. Work included the replacement of over 400 LED bulbs, removal of air conditioners, replacement of water fountains, repairing of faucets, and sanding and painting of rusted areas.

"Just weeks ago, we were confronted with a daunting situation-thousands of public school students unable to return to campus for the new school year," said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. "Today, more of our students have returned to in-person learning, which remains our primary goal as it provides the best educational environment, especially for our youngest learners. We thank our teams who worked alongside each school's faculty and staff, DOE facilities and maintenance, and the various community volunteers and partners for making these openings possible."

"We must ensure this never happens to our students again. Our administration will continue to provide support, but we call on the Guam Department of Education to present a long-term plan for managing school facilities to prevent this recurrence next year and in the years ahead. Our children deserve nothing less and are counting on us," added Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio.

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