GDOE canceling Nov. 29 makeup day ahead of holiday declaration
The Guam Department of Education has confirmed that classes the day after Thanksgiving, originally slated to be used as a makeup day, have been canceled following Adelup confirming the governor will declare it a government of Guam holiday.
The governor's spokesperson Krystal Paco-San Agustin said, "Gov. Leon Guerrero will be declaring Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, a GovGuam holiday. An executive order will be issued in the coming days to make this official."
Now that Nov. 29 will be a holiday, GDOE has some relief from meeting the 180 instructional day mandate as they do not have to schedule another makeup day.
"I do not expect to. (It was the) same situation last school year with Tropical Storm Bolivar when we closed," GDOE Superintendent Kenneth Erik Swanson said.
Last school year, GDOE scheduled a makeup day for Bolivar, but that day was also declared a holiday. In that instance, the makeup day still counted as an instructional day despite students being off for the holiday.
GDOE intended for all students to have class the day after Thanksgiving, but that decision was quickly reversed with the governor's anticipated declaration in a few days.
GDOE began the school year late, with some students beginning on Aug. 15 and others on Aug. 22 because of Department of Public Health and Social Services sanitary inspections at the time pending for 18 schools, which couldn't open their doors for operations until passing with no more than 39 demerits.
The delayed start of classes resulted in two school calendars being adopted by the Guam Education Board. The calendars were later amended to account for Election Day, leaving little wiggle room for additional school closures.
The makeup day was necessary to cover weather-related school closures and the delayed start, which placed the department out of compliance with the Adequate Education Act's 180 instructional day mandate.
The Aug. 22 school calendar currently identifies May 28 as a flexible makeup day. Officials noted that it would be used to make up for instructional time lost when the schools closed in anticipation of Tropical Storm Man-yi.
The adjustment would mean that students following this calendar will end the school year on May 28.
For students following the Aug. 15 calendar, their last day of school is May 21.
Post files state, if the board concurs, May 29 would be the last day of school for F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School students.
