Jan. 28, 2002 — Following what fire investigators are calling an act of arson at Central High School earlier this month, the chair of the Senate Education Committee wants the Turnbull administration to implement around-the-clock security at public schools.
During the early morning hours of Jan. 19, a suspicious fire caused extensive damage to the building that houses the music room at Central High. The building also houses offices and a computer lab. St. Croix Fire Chief Jose Santos said V.I. Fire Service investigators believe the blaze was started by arsonists, particularly since the building was broken into.
The suspicious fire at Central follows a similar one at Charlotte Amalie High School on St. Thomas almost two years ago. On March 14, 2000, the CAHS music suite was torched in a case that remains unsolved. That fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage. No estimate has been given for the Central fire damage.
The two incidents and numerous other acts of vandalism throughout the public school system prompted Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste, as Education Committee chair, to fire off a letter to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull last week. Baptiste noted that the University of the Virgin Islands and Territorial Court have money budgeted for "comprehensive 24-7 security coverage," but the Education Department does not.
"Common sense dictates that it would be more cost effective to have a proper security program at our schools than to clean up, rebuild and replace costly equipment following every burglary and act of vandalism," Baptiste wrote.
He pointed out that the Central High music building also suffered a fire in the early 1980s. Rebuilding and equipping the facility completely took about 10 years and more than a million dollars, he said.
The CAHS music suite, meanwhile, is "still in poor condition following some halfway repairs and two subsequent break-ins," he said.
Turnbull, describing his administration's accomplishments in 2001 in his Jan. 14 State of the Territory address, stated: "The renovation of the Charlotte Amalie High School Music Suite was also completed this past year, and students are now enjoying and learning in the new facility."
Baptiste further wrote the governor: "I must express my disappointment in that little has been done to secure the campus at the St. Croix Central High School inspite [sic] of the $200,000 appropriated by the 24th Legislature to do just that." He added, "Governor, it is imperative that we reevaluate our approach to school security. We can no longer allow the criminal element to negate every positive step we take and hold our children hostage."
