THS admin struggles with “long-standing maintenance concerns”

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Tafuna High School’s administration continues to be concerned about their ability to provide a safe environment conducive to learning for their over 1,000 students as the beginning of the new school year 2025- 26 is just around the corner.

THS principal Tutuila Togilau recently addressed the issue in an email addressed to the Head of the Department of Education (DOE) maintenance department, Enele Taatasi.

Her email highlights what she calls “long-standing maintenance concerns” at THS. She points out that “as we’ve always believed, a safe and conducive learning environment plays a major role in student engagement and success.

“Unfortunately, there are still key issues that have not been addressed, some dating back several years.”

In her email, Togilau lists the main items with which THS is urgently seeking assistance:

1      One of the main Student Bathrooms facilities has been shut down for four years now. Currently, we are operating with just one bathroom for over 1,000 students. This is a long-standing issue, and it should have been resolved already.

— Boys' side: Only 3 out of 5 stalls are working due to broken toilets reported earlier this year.

— Girls' side: Only 6 out of 8 stalls are functional.

This ongoing issue has resulted in frequent complaints from both students and parents, and it was also raised during a site visit by some of our Faipule and Senators earlier this year. Yet, the situation remains unresolved.

2      Non-Working Lights in the Music Room: This has been an issue for some time and still has not been addressed.

3      Room 201 Repairs: I had requested repairs for Room 201 last year to accommodate one of our science teachers. Since the C Building is no longer being worked on, one of my teachers has been holding her class in a hut due to the poor condition of her assigned classroom in C building. Fixing maintenance issues in room 201 would help provide her with a stable learning space this year.

4      Paint Request: We would be very grateful if you could help us secure paint for classrooms that need refreshing.

5      General Maintenance (Non-Contracted Buildings): These include recurring issues such as termite-damaged wood, broken doorknobs, faulty window panels, damaged or torn screen wires, and missing louvers that need replacement.

The THS principal concludes asking if Maintenance can prioritize the listed items before school starts. “Any support you can offer would be greatly appreciated, not only by our staff but more importantly, by our students who deserve the best possible environment to learn and grow.”

Fagaima Faipule Larry Sanitoa has followed up with concerns about THS bathroom maintenance issues asking for an update, following a House DOE Committee hearing held last Thursday. In an email to Taatasi and the Customer Service Manager for ASPA Ryan Tuato’o, Fagaima expresses his extreme disappointment that “after highlighting the problem and having the main restroom closed for over four years, we are no closer to resolving this issue.”

He adds, “the Department of Health should seriously investigate the safety and health consequences of having only one restroom building for over 1,000 students,” and concludes, “I remain hopeful that this issue can be resolved before school starts.”

Samoa News understands the email includes Tuato’o because aside from broken toilets and stalls — ASPA water pressure is extremely low, causing use of bathrooms unsanitary at best.

It should also be noted that previous administrations have used the “Adopt-a-School” approach to help with maintenance problems at various high schools.

The local program was an initiative where government departments, agencies, and other organizations collaborate with the Department of Education to prepare schools for the new academic year. This often involved cleaning and renovations and aimed to ensure schools were ready for students returning from Summer vacation and to foster a positive learning environment. 

It’s unknown if the government initiative is being continued by the current administration.