THE Governor’s Office yesterday announced that nearly $3.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds have been obligated for school improvements.
According to the announcement, Gov. Eddie Calvo signed three ARRA contracts to repair roofs at eight public schools and to renovate classrooms at the old Untalan Middle School campus for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) use.
The contracts for roof repairs are for southern and central public schools, specifically for Harry S. Truman Elementary, J.P. Torres Alternative, Oceanview Middle School, Inarajan Middle, Agueda Johnston Middle, Jose Rios Middle, Agana Heights Elementary, and C.L. Taitano Elementary.
“The students of these schools have been waiting a long time for this,” Calvo said. “The principals and faculty of these schools have been struggling to provide a learning environment for these students whenever it rains. These repairs will go a long way to providing the learning environment Guam’s children deserve.”
In response to the signing of the contract for the STEM construction project at UMS, Calvo said: “We need to show students early on that they can pursue many different career paths by excelling in science, technology, engineering, and math.” He added: “We are opening up a world of possibilities for these students.”
At the request of the Guam Department of Education, Calvo recently put in a second request to the U.S. Department of Education to extend the deadline to obligate ARRA grants. Current deadline for obligating said funds is Sept. 30.
With millions of funds still unobligated, Calvo, according to the announcement, “has expressed his dismay over the delay, saying the students, faculty and school leaders have waited far too long for the renovation of the public schools.”
