77.8 F
Cruz Bay
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsLocal newsMajority of Public Schools Open After Labor Day, Safety Issues Delay Others

Majority of Public Schools Open After Labor Day, Safety Issues Delay Others

Gov. Kenneth Mapp (File photo)
Gov. Kenneth Mapp (File photo)

A majority of public schools will open as scheduled Sept. 4, but Gov. Kenneth Mapp said at a Wednesday news conference that safety concerns with modular and related electrical installations have delayed the opening of others until Sept. 17.

And then there’s Arthur Richards Elementary on St. Croix, whose opening is to be determined.

Opening on Sept. 4 on St. Croix will be: Alfredo Andrews, Alexander Henderson, Pearl B. Larsen, Juanita Gardine, Ricardo Richards and Claude O. Markoe elementary schools, along with Elena Christian (at the current Manor School site) and John H. Woodson junior high schools and the St. Croix Central High School. Educational Complex will also open, along with its Career and Technical Education and Vocational Education programs.

In Aug. 2 photo, blue modular units are being installed on the ballfield to replace the damaged classrooms at the Julius E. Sprauve School. One of the damaged building is in the right foreground. (File photo)
In Aug. 2 photo, blue modular units are being installed on the ballfield to replace the damaged classrooms at the Julius E. Sprauve School. One of the damaged building is in the right foreground. (File photo)

On St. John, Julius Sprauve will not open until Sept. 17.

On St. Thomas, schools opening Sept. 4 are: Joseph Sibilly, Jane E. Tuitt, Leonard Dober and Ulla F. Muller elementary schools (Lockhart Elementary and Gladys Abraham students will share the Muller campus,) along with Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School, the Raphael O. Wheatley Skill Center and the Adult Education program.

Neither of St. Thomas’ high schools will open until September 17. Students from Addelita Cancryn will also begin school at CAHS – with classes held in the modulars on the CAHS field – at that time. Joseph Gomez Elementary on St. Thomas, along with Eulalie Rivera and Lew Muckle elementary schools will also reopen Sept. 17.

For any schools able to open before that date, the extra time will be spent going through student and teacher orientations, and sessions on how to access the facilities, the governor added Wednesday.

Mapp spoke about his disappointment with contractor AECOM in getting the modular installed on time. While company officials were confident they would hit an earlier date of Aug. 28, Mapp cited challenges that included logistics, getting sites identified and getting materials produced in factories from Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania to arrive on island at the same time. There was also coordination needed for delivery of a Sprung structure being put together in Utah.

“They assured us the schools would be ready, so I was going with the information I had,” Education Commissioner Sharon McCollum added Wednesday as she fielded questions from the media about the holdups.

Mapp likened the situation to residents having to rebuild their homes, and getting stuck by delays from contractors.

“When we visited the sites, we had to make really an informed decision about what sites our children should learn in and what conditions our teachers should work in,” he said.

The fine line, however, comes in completing permanent repairs on damaged campuses that need to be eligible for a reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management agency. Temporary repairs will instead by ongoing, and Mapp said the government is still assessing each school facility with both federal partners and its consultants, to see what can be taken care of permanently.

Mold remediation, he added, is at the top of the list, along with replacing kitchen equipment and furniture in six local schools.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.

1 COMMENT