Governor Bryan at Julius E Sprauve School in St. John By. GOV'T HOUSE
Across the territory, public school students in PreK through 3rd Grade headed back to campus for in-person learning, as the V.I. Dept. of Education rolls out a tiered approach to getting USVI students back in the best environment suited for education.
Also returning to the in-person learning environment are Special Education self-contained classes and Career and Technical Education students. Grades 4-12 will continue learning virtually, though Governor Albert Bryan has signaled that all grades could be back in classrooms sooner rather than later.
The return to in-person follows a Board of Education meeting where Education officials left board members impressed with school preparation efforts. The board had previously expressed concerns regarding the readiness of school facilities to receive students in a pandemic environment, and it summoned D.O.E. officials to provide information to that end.
On Tuesday, Mr. Bryan toured several schools across the territory. “I am so proud of all of you and wish everyone a safe and successful school year as we begin returning students to our campuses,” he said. “We want students to return to the classroom, and the Bryan-Roach administration is doing everything to ensure this is being done in the safest way possible.”
D.O.E. Commissioner Racquel Berry-Benjamin stated, "“We are so happy to be here today to reopen our campuses so that students can come to school and learn. Under the close guidance of the Department of Health, our district and school leaders, as well as maintenance staff, custodial staff, and food service workers, have prepared diligently to ensure campuses are ready to receive students and staff."
