A YEAR since Simon Sanchez High School was shut down and cited for specific violations, including leaking ceilings and awnings in need of repair, the school recently received a piece of good news on the processing of the school’s roof repair contract.
Last June 2011, SSHS summer school was shut down after failing a safety inspection conducted by the Guam Department of Health and Social Services-Division of Environmental Health. Aside from the violations previously noted, the school was cited for cracked tiles and baseboards, chairs and desks in disrepair.
According to SSHS Principal Beth Perez, one of the major items cited was the roof leaks in the main building that were found throughout the classrooms and the main hallways in addition to the cafeteria and the stage area.
“Back in 2011, they were required to create an action plan on how to temporarily address the issue,” Perez said.
For quite some time, the roof repair project for SSHS and other schools in the northern villages was temporarily delayed because of contractor protests lodged at the Office of Public Accountability.
The OPA recently concluded there is “no merit” to the appellant’s protest and rendered a decision in favor of the Guam Department of Education.
In an email sent to Perez, Tracy Higuera, senior project manager of Sodexo Services Guam Inc., confirmed the SSHS structural repairs and roof coatings project is included in Project ID 036-2012 and that contracts for the repairs are being processed for signatures.
Before learning about the positive development on the SSHS roof repair contract, Perez said she is concerned the school was not included in the list of approved ARRA-funded projects for roof repairs recently released by the Governor’s Office.
“This is a major concern for us because it may mean that some classrooms and areas may not be used if the heavy rains continue,” she explained.
