St. Croix District Announces Return to In-Person Instruction on March 2

Classroom at Pearl B. Larsen PreK8 School outfitted with floor markings indicating compliance with the 6-feet social distancing requirement between student desks.

 

PreK-1st, Special Education and CTE Return March 2; Grades 2nd and 3rd Return March 9 

Public schools in the St. Croix District will open for in-person instruction beginning March 2—nearly a year following the closure of school buildings on March 14, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

According to Insular Superintendent Carlos McGregor, “all schools received a favorable evaluation to open” after undergoing a series of inspections by the V.I. Department of Health-Environmental Health Division, V.I. Fire Service - Fire Prevention Unit, and the V.I. Board of Education—culminating with the Board of Education passing a resolution on Feb. 25 certifying the reopening of the district’s schools. 

“It is a proud day for all of us in the St. Croix District,” McGregor said. “The countless hours of meticulous planning by the district team, school administrators and teachers demonstrate our commitment to educating our students in a safe and healthy environment. The most effective teaching and learning happens when students and teachers are physically in school, and we are happy to be on the road to returning to a sense of normalcy.” 

Who Returns & When 

Beginning Tues., March 2, PreK-1st grade, Special Education Self-contained, and Career & Technical Education second- and fourth-year certificant students will resume in-person instruction, five days a week. Beginning Tues., March 9, students in 2nd and 3rd grades will resume in-person instruction, five days a week.  

School schedules are as follows: 

General education students in grades 4-12 will continue learning virtually. McGregor further pointed out that parents of students in grades PreK-3rd retain the option of continuing to have their children learn virtually. 

Preparations to Return to In-Person Instruction 

Early preparations for students and staff to safely return to in-person instruction began last summer when the Department received funding through Congress’s CARES Act. Since then, schools have been outfitted with the necessary items in compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirements for in-person learning: 

McGregor said schools have created an action plan that includes procedures “from the time students, faculty and staff arrive on campus until they leave the school grounds for the day.” These include: 

Meals, Bus Transportation & Uniforms 

Breakfast and lunch will be provided to students who return to campuses, as well as to those who continue to learn from home.  

When it comes to transportation, however, McGregor said parents will be required to transport their children to and from school. Students whose parents are unable to provide transportation will continue to learn virtually. Bus transportation will only be provided for self-contained Special Education students, until further notice. 

All students are expected to follow their school’s uniform policy; a two-week grace period will be granted to students to ensure compliance with uniform requirements. 

Education Commissioner Racquel Berry-Benjamin praised the partnerships that made it possible for school campuses to reopen. 

“As the Department of Education continues to work closely with our partners at the V.I. Department of Health, the Office of the Governor, the V.I. Board of Education, and all stakeholders, we are pleased the time has come when we can safely return our students and staff to their school campuses,” she said. “We will continue to follow the guidance of health professionals as we move into this phase of educating students during the pandemic.” 

Dates for the return to in-person instruction in the St. Thomas-St. John District will be announced shortly.  

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In-Person Learning at Claude O. Markoe Elementary Postponed

UPDATED March 1, 2021

The planned reopening of the Claude O. Markoe Elementary School campus for in-person instruction on March 2 has been postponed.

St. Croix District Insular Superintendent Carlos McGregor made the decision to keep the Frederiksted school closed following a report of roof leakage affecting several areas of the campus.

“The heavy rains we experienced over the weekend tested the integrity of some of the repairs that were performed by our maintenance staff,” he said. “This extra time will allow the contracted vendor to come onto the campus and perform permanent repairs to the roof.”

All students attending Claude O. Markoe Elementary School will continue to learn from home until further notice. Other schools in the district are not affected and will resume in-person instruction as previously announced.

Who Returns and When

Beginning Tues., March 2, PreK-1st grade, Special Education Self-contained, and Career & Technical Education second- and fourth-year certificant students will resume in-person instruction, five days a week. Beginning Tues., March 9, students in 2nd and 3rd grades will resume in-person instruction, five days a week.

School schedules are as follows:

Pearl B. Larsen PreK8 | 8:15am-1:15pm

Juanita Gardine K8 | 8:15am-1:15pm

Eulalie R. Rivera K8 | 8:15am-1:15pm

Arthur A. Richards K8 | 8:15am-1:15pm

Ricardo Richards Elementary | 8:30am-1 :30pm

Lew Muckle Elementary | 8:30am-1:30pm

Alfredo Andrews Elementary | 8:30am-1:30pm

Career & Technical Education Center | 8:00am-3:30pm

General education students in grades 4-12 will continue learning from home and parents of students in grades PreK-3rd retain the option of continuing to have their children learn from home.

 

St. Croix District In-Person Learning Begins Tuesday March 2, 2021 _Page_1.jpg

STX Flyer- In-person Learning - Tuesday March 2, 2021_Page_2.jpg

 

 

 

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