The Virgin Islands Department of Education said on Wednesday that ongoing construction at school sites receiving temporary modular classrooms has further delayed the opening of the remainder of the territory’s public schools.
The department in August had said construction on all schools would be completed by August 28, and that all schools would be ready for the September 4 reopening. But days before the scheduled September 4 date, D.O.E. and Governor Kenneth Mapp announced that some delays were forced because one the construction firms contracted to prepare the schools had failed to meet their own deadline.
“Last evening on my way to St. Croix, I met with the vice president of AECOM and their council, and I expressed my disappointment in their inability to meet the deadlines under the contracts that they signed,” Mr. Mapp said on August 29. “AECOM knows that we’re not satisfied with their level of performance,” he later added.
Delays
According to D.O.E., the Lew Muckle Elementary School in St. Croix will open for instruction on Monday, September 17, 2018. The Julius E. Sprauve School in St. John will also open on Wednesday, September 19.
The following schools are slated to open the week of September 24:
Monday, September 24, 2018 St. Thomas/ St. John District
Charlotte Amalie High School
Yvonne E. Milliner-Bowsky Elementary School J
oseph Gomez Elementary School
St. Croix District
Eulalie Rivera Elementary School
Thursday, September 27, 2018
St. Thomas – St. John District
Addelita Cancryn Junior High School
Lockhart Elementary School
Ivanna Eudora Kean High School
D.O.E. said as construction progress is made, information on the opening of the Arthur A. Richards Junior High School will be released.
Correction: Sept. 13, 2018
Because of a text error, Eulalie Rivera was listed as opening on Sept. 27, when said school is actually opening on Sept. 24. The story has been updated.
Tags: department of education, school reopening, usvi