The Environmental Division of the Department of Health began health inspections for public and private schools last week.
And inspectors had to close some of the classrooms because of the presence of rodent feces, unclean rooms, and flooding.
Head of the Environmental Division Aileen Solaita said this was the first inspection for the 2025/2026 school year, and the conditions found in most of the schools were the same found in the previous four years. Torn screen wires, rodents, mildew build up, dirty floors, termites. The bathrooms are also in deplorable condition and from what she’s seen, there’s not enough toilet paper being supplied for students to use, and some of the bathroom stalls have feces markings.
With all schools getting air conditioners, Solaita said the schools were advised not to have them on 24/7. She said there’s build up of mildew and mold from water dripping from the ACs. And nearly all of the schools they visited had low water pressure.
Solaita feels that lack of maintenance is the reason why the same unsanitary conditions from the last four years, are continuing in the schools.
She credited the School Lunch Program for making improvements in school cafeterias. For example, one of the recommendations they made was for all cafeterias to have a sink for handwashing, rather than using the same sink used for food preparation for students to handwash after meals.
The school inspections are continuing this week, and the DOH team will be visiting schools in Manu’a as soon as a schedule is finalized with DOE.
Solaita said this is the first inspection with the new administration and she hopes there will be a positive response from DOE and leadership of private schools to address unsanitary conditions in the schools.
