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HomeNewsLocal governmentSt. Croix District Produces School Reconfiguration Plan for 2019-2020

St. Croix District Produces School Reconfiguration Plan for 2019-2020

Students arrive for class at the St. Croix Educational Complex. (Bill Kossler photo)
Students arrive for class at the St. Croix Educational Complex in 2018. (Bill Kossler photo)

The Virgin Islands Department of Education St. Croix District has announced a comprehensive reconfiguration plan for schools on St. Croix for the 2019-2020 school year.

Most notably, four of the district’s schools will move to a K-8 model and will require changes to school uniforms. Additionally, all schools in the district will have new start and end times to better accommodate bus schedules, as well as after-school programs and activities for students.

St. Croix Insular Superintendent of Schools Carlos McGregor said the move to a K-8 model was a necessary step in the right direction to alleviate long-standing employee shortages and decreased student enrollment, eliminate use of aging and damaged school buildings and reduce operational costs.

Education Commissioner Racquel Berry-Benjamin echoed McGregor’s sentiments, saying, “After an extensive assessment of schools in both districts, we had to make the tough decision to change our operations for the benefit of our students, and in order to appropriately use the financial and human resources we do have.” Now, Berry-Benjamin says, the Department of Education “is on the right path to better self-management as we begin the next phase of building new and modern school facilities.”

Pearl B. Larsen Elementary School is now Pearl B. Larsen K-8
Pearl B. Larsen will be expanded from its current K-6 model to K-8.
Pearl B. Larsen’s current 6th graders will remain at Pearl B. Larsen K-8 for 7th grade.
Current Elena L. Christian Jr. High School 7th graders who attended Pearl B. Larsen will return to Pearl B. Larsen K-8 for 8th grade.

Juanita Gardine Elementary School is now Juanita Gardine K-8
Juanita Gardine will be expanded from its current K-6 model to K-8.
Juanita Gardine’s current 6th graders will remain at Juanita Gardine K-8 for 7th grade.
Current Elena L. Christian Jr. High School 7th graders who attended Juanita Gardine, will return to Juanita Gardine K-8 for 8th grade.
Elena L. Christian Jr. High School will not reopen
Current 7th graders who attended Pearl B. Larsen will return to Pearl B. Larsen K-8 for 8th grade.
Current 7th graders who attended Juanita Gardine will return to Juanita Gardine K-8 for 8th grade.
Current 7th graders who attended Lew Muckle Elementary will report to John H. Woodson Jr. High for 8th grade.

John H. Woodson Jr. High School
John H. Woodson will remain a traditional junior high school (7th and 8th grades).
Current 7th graders who attended Eulalie R. Rivera Elementary will return to Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 for 8th grade.
Feeder Elementary Schools for John H. Woodson will now be:
Alfredo Andrews Elementary
Ricardo Richards Elementary
Lew Muckle Elementary
Lew Muckle Elementary School
Lew Muckle Elementary will remain a K-6 model.
Current Lew Muckle Elementary 6th graders will report to John H. Woodson Jr. High School for 7th grade.

Ricardo Richards Elementary School
No Changes
Alfredo Andrews Elementary School
No Changes
Claude O. Markoe Elementary School
No Changes

Arthur A. Richards Jr. High School and Alexander Henderson Elementary is now Arthur A. Richards K-8
Schools will merge creating Arthur A. Richards K-8 at the current Arthur A. Richards Jr. High site.
Current Arthur Richards Jr. High 7th graders who attended the Eulalie Rivera Elementary School will return to Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 for 8th grade.

Eulalie R. Rivera Elementary School is now Eulalie R. Rivera K-8
Eulalie R. Rivera will be expanded from its current K-6 model to a K-8 model.
Eulalie Rivera’s current 6th graders will remain at Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 for 7th grade.
Current Arthur A. Richards 7th graders who attended Eulalie R. Rivera Elementary will return to Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 for 8th grade.
Current John H. Woodson 7th graders who attended Eulalie R. Rivera Elementary will return to Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 for 8th grade.

St. Croix Central High School
No Changes
St. Croix Educational Complex
No Changes
St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC)
No Changes

Start/End Time for St. Croix District Schools 2019-2020 School Year

High Schools Start Time: 7:30 a.m.; End Time: 2:40 p.m.
Central H.S.
Educational Complex H.S.
CTEC
Junior High Start Time: 8 a.m.; End Time: 3 p.m.
Woodson Jr. H.S.
K-8 Start Time: 8:15 a.m.; End Time: 3:15 p.m.
Gardine
Larsen
A.A Richards
E. Rivera
Elementary Start Time: 8:30 a.m.; End Time: 3:30 p.m.
R. Richards Elementary
Andrews Elementary
Lew Muckle Elementary
Markoe Elementary

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