St. Croix schools came alive Wednesday morning as faculty, staff, and students returned for the first day of classes, filling campuses with the familiar mix of anticipation, first-day jitters, and fresh starts.

At Claude O. Markoe Elementary School, parents escorted their children through the gates, many carrying small bins packed with school supplies. One parent, Sash Ogarro, said she was eager to see the children return after the long summer break.

Just outside the school, Reverend Lorenzo H. Davis and his wife, Buelle Davis, from the Frederiksted Wesleyan Holiness Church, Inc., offered prayers for the students.
“This is our first time here as a couple, but in the past, other churches have come to the schools to pray for the children,” Davis said. “It takes a village to raise a child, and that still stands. Part of the reason for the village is prayer, because prayer is important. It’s been important in our lives, and we believe it’s still important today. Even though there is a separation of church and state, we believe that prayer is important — it covers and gives you a different perspective on your day when you start with prayer.”

At St. Croix Central High School, Principal Chermaine Hobson-Johnson described the morning as “very cliché” but exciting.

“We are very happy to have them back,” she said. “We are also happy to have them so they can graduate and move on to begin their careers. That is the difference between high school and elementary — in high school, you are molding them to prepare for their careers and whatever else they have planned for their future. It’s a different energy at the high school level.”

Across the island at the Pearl B. Larsen PreK-8 School, the territory’s youngest learners were settling in for a year of discovery. In Astral Battiste’s kindergarten class, a wall of Bluey decorations welcomed students. Battiste, voted the territory’s Teacher of the Year in 2024, marked her 20th year in the classroom by putting students to work right away on a coloring exercise. Next door, Janice Hendricks introduced her kindergarteners to the basics of pencil etiquette: writing is encouraged; poking is frowned upon.

At the St. Croix Educational Complex, the year began with the unveiling of a new “I ❤️ SCEC” sculpture. After the final bell rang shortly after 1 p.m., Assistant Principal Erick Willie said the day had gone smoothly.

For St. Croix Insular Superintendent Carla Bastian, the morning’s scenes reflected the heart of the district’s mission.

“The first day of school in the St. Croix District was filled with energy, anticipation, and the unmistakable joy that comes with new beginnings,” Bastian said. “From the buses rolling into school yards, parents walking their children to the gates, and classrooms, the district came alive with a new year of opportunities for excellence.”

She praised principals, teachers, and staff for setting a welcoming tone and acknowledged the district’s continued focus on high expectations, academic growth, and improved attendance.

When the 2025–2026 school year begins Wednesday, thousands of Virgin Islands students will return to classrooms in varying states of readiness — some with newly polished floors and repaired air-conditioning units, others with mold warnings, partial schedules, and unfinished repairs that lawmakers say could have been addressed months ago.

Sen. Kurt Vialet, chair of the Senate Committee on Education, said he began sounding the alarm in February after touring every public school in the territory and identifying critical projects that needed to be completed over the summer. Those included roof and mold remediation at John H. Woodson Junior High, kitchen repairs at Claude O. Markoe and Eulalie Rivera, and air-conditioning installations at the St. Croix Educational Complex. In April and May, he pressed Education officials and the Bureau of School Construction to issue purchase orders early and get crews on site as soon as classes ended in June.

By the time Vialet and fellow senators toured campuses again in August, he said, the delays were obvious — particularly on St. Croix, where some work orders weren’t approved until late July, and in some cases on the same day lawmakers were walking the halls. “Nothing taking place now is what I predicted back in February,” Vialet said Tuesday. “This is the third year Complex is starting on a shortened bell schedule and the fourth or fifth year Woodson won’t have a normal school year.”

The consequences are immediate. On St. Croix, the Education Complex, Central High, and CTEC will dismiss students at 1 p.m. due to heat and incomplete AC work. Woodson will remain closed until roof repairs, deep cleaning, and post-remediation testing are complete — a process Vialet said should wrap up by the end of the month. When he visited in August, the mold odor in classrooms was so strong “there was no way the school could reopen” as scheduled.

Vialet also raised concerns about uneven progress between districts. While he said St. Thomas schools were generally in better shape, some projects there ground to a halt when contractors walked off job sites over nonpayment. The companies had expected to be paid with American Rescue Plan Act funds, but delays in accessing those funds stalled work. The Legislature has since boosted the government’s line of credit to $200 million, allowing agencies to pay contractors upfront and seek federal reimbursement later — a step Vialet believes should get stalled projects moving.

One St. Thomas campus facing particular challenges is Charlotte Amalie High School. Vialet said the school is grappling with space constraints due to the planned demolition of the cafeteria, gymnasium, and auditorium, forcing most activities into the Sprung shelter. Air-conditioning units for the main office and auditorium are expected within four weeks but will not be installed in time for the first day of school.

Sen. Avery Lewis, vice chair of the Education Committee, toured schools on all three islands in late July and shared similar observations. At Ivanna Eudora Kean High School on St. Thomas, he said multiple classrooms and the gym still lacked working AC. At Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School, crews were cleaning floors, installing a new generator, and waiting on AC replacements for the auditorium. Charlotte Amalie High, he noted, was undergoing mold testing and remediation by contractor REF, with work also underway on the social studies annex, special education classrooms, the cottage, bathrooms, and the cafeteria under J. Benton. With so many classes still in the Sprung shelters, he warned, “it really, really is hot” without functioning air-conditioning.

Some campuses were in better shape. Lewis noted that Ulla Muller Elementary’s floors were freshly polished, kitchen equipment was being tested, and bathroom repairs were underway. But at Yvonne Milliner Bowsky Elementary, he said mold complaints remained unresolved, and he was “not pleased at all” with the overall condition. At Gomez Elementary, restrooms needed valve replacements to prevent constant running water, and the campus required a paint job and power upgrades for modular classrooms.

On St. John, Julius Sprauve School had patched holes in classroom floors and installed portable AC units in modular classrooms. But Lewis said those units can’t run simultaneously without tripping the power, and electrical upgrades are needed to keep them functioning reliably.

Both senators praised principals and teachers who came in early to prepare classrooms — and said that schools where administrators were visibly present over the summer had noticeably more progress. But they agreed the root problem is the lack of a coordinated, year-round plan between Education, the Bureau of School Construction, Property and Procurement, Finance, and the Office of Management and Budget.

“We need to call all the parties into one room and work out the payment and scheduling issues so these projects get done before the first day of school, not weeks after,” Vialet said.

Lewis added that while the department has made progress in some areas, the territory needs to aim higher. “I keep asking for that wow effect when we open a school year,” he said. “Our children are going through some rough times. We need to give them an environment that feels new, safe, and ready on day one.”

Hilton officially opened its first hotel in the U.S. Virgin Islands Wednesday with the debut of Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas, a 126-room, select-service property located across from Havensight Mall and next to the West Indian Company cruise ship port. The grand opening also marks the first large, new-build hotel in the territory in more than 30 years, a press release announced.

The new hotel spans 70,586 square feet on a 1.62-acre site. A neighboring 2.662-acre parcel is slated for additional development, with plans for a community green space, an island welcome center, and hotel parking, which is expected to be completed by March 2026, according to the press release.

The opening ceremony drew a large crowd of local and corporate dignitaries. Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, Sen. Milton Potter, Hilton’s vice president for the Caribbean and Latin America Pablo Maturana, and developer Sean Miller were among the speakers celebrating the milestone. Several other senators and public officials were also in attendance, the press release announced.

“We see great potential in the U.S. Virgin Islands as both a business and leisure destination,” Maturana said. “Bringing Hampton by Hilton to St. Thomas allows us to meet growing demand for dependable, high-quality accommodations while creating meaningful local impact through jobs, education support, and community partnerships.”

Owned by Haven Development and managed by Hotel Equities, the hotel features a modern coastal design with Caribbean blues and teals throughout. Amenities include a 3,800-square-foot patio, a 2,000-square-foot pool deck, an 850-square-foot conference room, a fitness center, and a public harbor-view bar and lounge called The Helm. Guests will also have access to Hampton’s complimentary hot breakfast, including the brand’s signature waffles, the release stated.

“As the first hotel of its kind in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas is filling a long-standing gap in the local hospitality market,” said General Manager Jim Swaim. “We are proud to offer the trusted reliability of the Hilton name to corporate travelers and tourists alike while supporting our community through job creation, charitable giving, and economic investment.”

Haven Development has pledged annual donations to several St. Thomas-based nonprofits and will support public education through contributions to the Virgin Islands Education Department. Hilton said the hotel is positioned to deliver long-term economic benefits to the territory through employment, community investment, and increased visitor spending, the release stated.

Located 4.1 miles from Cyril E. King Airport and 1.5 miles from downtown Charlotte Amalie, the hotel is well situated for both air and cruise travelers. Guests will have easy access to shopping, dining, and entertainment venues in one of St. Thomas’s most active commercial districts, it said.

The hotel also emphasizes local sourcing. Art from Ama Dennis of The Creative Native is featured throughout the property. The Helm bar serves beverages from Leatherback Brewing Company and cocktails made with Mutiny Island Vodka and Cruzan Rum. Caribbean-based Soca Shores supplies drinking water, and ice cream from Pure Imagination Creations is also available to guests, it said.

Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas participates in Hilton Honors, the company’s guest loyalty program. The property joins nearly 50 Hilton Hotels currently operating in the Caribbean, with more than 25 additional developments underway, it said.

For reservations or more information, visit hilton.com/sttunhx-hampton-st-thomas.