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Tiyan High School will remain open, Guam Education Board Chairman Angel Sablan told students, staff, and community members during Tuesday's town hall addressing double sessions at Simon Sanchez High School and redistricting concerns. Sablan reassured attendees of the board’s commitment to keeping Tiyan High operational, aligning with other board members and senators who oppose closure. “We’re going to keep Tiyan open,” he said. The town hall, hosted by legislative education committee chair Sen. Vince Borja in the Tiyan High gymnasium, was scheduled to begin with a facilities update from Guam Department of Education Superintendent Erik Swanson. However, the discussion shifted to emotional testimony from the Tiyan High community about past ad hoc committee meetings, student achievements, and plans for the next school year. Sablan acknowledged challenges but confirmed that the board and community partners would work to eliminate double sessions and find solutions for other schools. “Yes, there are things that we have to do, but it’s not just the board, it’s all the stakeholders,” he said. “We feel for [Simon] Sanchez, and we said we’re not going to have a double session anymore. We feel for JFK [High], we feel for Okkodo [High], and we feel for FB Leon Guerrero [Middle], but that’s what we’re going to do.” He concluded by confirming that Tiyan High will not be considered for closure and that the board will pursue every option to address scheduling challenges at other schools. Tiyan’s athletic director, Rommel Losinio, opened the meeting with a six-minute video from the September ad hoc committee session showing discussions about potential school closures and redistricting, despite earlier assurances that Tiyan High was not being considered. Maria Gutierrez, who chaired the committee at the time, became the focus of community criticism over the process. She was not present at Tuesday’s town hall due to a previously scheduled commitment on another island. In the video, Gutierrez defended the board’s plan to end double sessions at Simon Sanchez High School, noting the school was never intended to be permanent and served only as a backup for schools under repair. She raised safety and equity concerns, citing long commutes, afternoon schedules, and overcrowded facilities that create unsafe conditions and limit access to programs such as Guam Community College classes. “We will end double session. That means even if they build those temporary classrooms, it’s still double session for Simon Sanchez. We don’t want that. I don’t want that,” Gutierrez said in the video. “We will find a facility, whether they’re going to be happy or not, we will. We will redistrict because that school was not meant to be a permanent high school. It was a backup for any schools that needed to get out of their facility to be repaired. So we will find a school, whether the stakeholders of that school like it or not. We don’t want to continue double session for Simon Sanchez, period.” ‘Keep the Simon Sanchez community’ Gutierrez said the board would move forward with redistricting if necessary to provide a full day of instruction and maintain the Simon Sanchez High School community. She rejected proposals to dissolve the school, citing the need to rebuild and the lack of support from local leaders. Gutierrez also outlined plans to explore student placement and attendance boundaries while maintaining the board’s commitment to ending split-day schedules. “The goal we’re moving toward is to keep the Simon Sanchez community together and have them be at Tiyan. They’re not going to double session with F.B. Leon Guerrero. They are not. When F.B. goes back to their campus, it doesn’t help. It’s still a double session. We are ending the double session,” Gutierrez added. After the video, Losinio addressed the panel directly, challenging the committee’s handling of the September meeting and the uncertainty surrounding the school’s future. “Unfortunately, as you have witnessed from the ad hoc committee of September, from the chairwoman herself…it already seemed like it was a done deal…it was specifically mentioned that our school will be closed and our kids redistricted,” he said. “We were made to think that we were kind of, almost delusional, that there were just rumors…But obviously that’s not true,” he added. Losinio noted that Tiyan High School Principal Sophia Duenas was not present during that meeting. He pressed the board for transparency and details on any undisclosed plans from the ad hoc committee. “So I just wanted to ask how then can we recover from the disingenuous…lies… I guess that was said during that meeting,” he asked. “We are here now, and we would like to know what the plan is moving forward.” Sablan: Gutierrez resigned as committee chair In response, Sablan clarified the board’s position on school closures, ad hoc committee changes, and the end of double sessions. “I guess, she felt all the pressure from all of you, from Tiyan, and at that October meeting, the very next day, she texted me that she resigns as the chairperson of the ad hoc committee.” He introduced the new chairperson, Judy Guthertz, and reaffirmed Tiyan High School remains safe. “Tiyan is not on the table,” Sablan said. He praised the high school for its growth and performance despite its original temporary designation. “Let me tell you, Tiyan High School has performed very, very well, even though it was never intended to have Tiyan become a permanent high school. What it has turned into is a permanent high school because of all of you,” he said. Students at Tiyan High School delivered passionate testimony, questioning the board’s transparency and raising concerns about the future of their school amid discussions of redistricting and closures. Kayla Santos, representing the Associated Body of Students, criticized the board for failing to protect the school’s future and said past indecision has caused uncertainty and frustration. She emphasized that Tiyan High has implemented innovative programs, including the College Career Readiness Proficiency Skills system, which integrates leadership, time management, and problem-solving skills into grading. Administrators and teachers described the school’s unique career academy model, which offers 12 career pathways and provides students with opportunities unmatched elsewhere in the region. Programs include ROTC and law enforcement pathways, with students earning college scholarships and gaining practical experience. Speakers said the school combines academics with real-world skills, transforming the educational experience and setting a model for other schools in the Pacific. Community members and alumni affirmed their support for Tiyan High, recalling the school’s origins and the long process required to establish it. They mentioned that the school has consistently delivered strong outcomes for students and called for transparency, collaboration, and continued investment in its programs. Swanson said he will present the full facilities plan during his State of Education address at 6 p.m. Thursday, outlining projects and timelines for the coming year.
