V.I. Department of Education officials returning to work Monday after Carnival found that thieves had struck at the Career, Technical & Adult Education offices on St. Thomas.
According to the Department of Education, thieves broke in and took two of the office’s first-floor air conditioning units, along with the associated copper piping. State Career, Technical & Adult Education Director Eduardo Corneiro discovered the theft Monday as employees returned to work and spent the day working with police on a report.
“It is always disappointing when incidents such as these occur,” Corneiro said Tuesday. “It goes without saying that when someone attacks Education, they also attack our children and all those who benefit from our programs. It’s senseless for one person’s small gain to affect so many people.”
Acting Education Commissioner Donna Frett-Gregory added that the theft of any equipment from Education facilities just puts more strain on the department’s already tight budget.
“For the department to be placed in a position of now having to replace this equipment because of one person’s selfish actions is just unacceptable,” Frett-Gregory said. “Our focus needs to be on serving the needs of our students and we’re asking our stakeholders to help us. Please don’t stand by and allow these incidents to continue – report any information you might have to the proper authorities."
Frett-Gregory said such acts make it harder for the department to achieve its mission of delivering education to the students of the territory.
"That goal is harder to achieve when our resources continue to be depleted by incidents such as these,” she said.
