Arthur A. Richards K-8 School Modular Units Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
ST. CROIX — The Arthur A. Richards K-8 School will be closed today until the source of an odor affecting the campus’s air quality has been identified and mitigated, the Dept. of Education has announced. D.O.E. said it's conducting a series of assessments and will notify students, parents and staff when the campus will reopen.
A decision was made late Thursday night to close the school after crews worked well into the evening to identify the source of the odor that has caused some students and staff to become ill.
The department, in partnership with other government agencies and private vendors, is exhausting every effort to rectify the situation on the modular campus, according to the release.
St. Croix Insular Superintendent Carlos McGregor will conduct a meeting with Arthur Richards faculty and staff on Friday at 9 a.m., along with members of the Department’s Operations Division, which oversees school facilities. The school’s PTA has requested a meeting with the Operations Division early next week.
An announcement will be made at a later date on how students may access assignments and complete coursework during the school closure.
D.O.E. thanked the public for its patience as the matter is addressed with the safety of students and staff in mind.
