By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The government of Guam vowed to see the Simon Sanchez High School construction project completed within two years.
The Department of Public Works will issue a request for proposals on March 28, with submissions due on May 23 and bidder selection by June, the governor’s office announced.
Located in Yigo, Simon Sanchez High School had long been a source of concern due to its dilapidated structures and facilities that made it a staple of Guam politics, with some critics referring to it as the epitome of failure in education.
The governor’s office said the project will be executed through a leaseback method involving a public-private partnership, which would require the developer to finance the project and provide long-term capital maintenance over 30 years.
According to the governor’s office, the leaseback model of procurement proved successful with previous projects such as the Okkodo High School, Astumbo Middle School, Liguan Elementary School, Adacao Elementary School and John F. Kennedy High School.
The selected developer would undertake the entire process from demolishing the existing structures to designing and constructing the new facilities.
“The project is targeted for completion within 730 days of the contract award date,” the governor’s office said in a press release.
The government is seeking proposals from bidders “that can demonstrate the ability to accelerate the construction schedule while maintaining compliance with the project requirements.”
“Our administration is the first to make it this far in the process, and we are determined to see it through,” the governor said. “For far too long, the Home of the Sharks has been without a campus of their own."
Currently, Simon Sanchez students are sharing a campus with JFK High School in Tamuning.
“This high school serves one of our island’s largest districts, and its prolonged dormancy has not only impacted the students, educators, and families of Simon Sanchez but also their gracious hosts at John F. Kennedy High School, who have shared their campus under double-session conditions,” the governor said.
Since 2010, the Yigo campus has been shut down several times due to unresolved health and safety violations, including roof leaks, stained tiles and sanitary supplies, among others. The condition worsened in the succeeding years, despite several bills that have been enacted to fix the campus.
Typhoon Mawar, which hit Guam in May 2023, caused extensive damage that rendered the campus unusable and beyond repair.
The new 300,000-sq.ft. Simon Sanchez High School will accommodate 2,000 students and 150 faculty and staff and feature state-of-the-art facilities, including modern classrooms, administrative offices and covered walkways.
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