Reopening of Schools Plan for SY 2021-2022

In-Person Learning Resumes September 7 for Select  Student Groups

Click the link below to download the full 2021-2022 Reopening of Schools Plan

VIDE School Reopening Plan 2021 2022 SY

 

The Virgin Islands Department of Education will resume in-person learning on Sept. 7 for students in grades PreK-3^rd, Special Education self-contained classes, and Career & Technical Education students enrolled in a specific career pathway. Students in grades 4-12 will continue to learn virtually. Parents of students slated to return to campuses may also choose to have their children continue to learn virtually. 

Department of Education Commissioner Racquel Berry-Benjamin, in consultation with Governor Albert Bryan, Jr, and Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion planned a phased approach to returning students to school campuses, as the Territory continues to respond to the highly contagious Delta variant. 

“We are prepared and excited to bring our most vulnerable student populations and those needing hands-on training back to our school campuses, as we did in March,” Berry-Benjamin said. “This approach will ensure we are providing students with that all-important face-to-face instruction, but in the safest way possible. We have established safety protocols on our campuses that students and employees will practice, and school administrators will enforce. The Department of Education continues to work closely with Governor Bryan and Commissioner Encarnacion concerning the safe operation of schools during the pandemic.”  

 “It was important for the Bryan-Roach Administration to get our students back into physical classrooms, but also give parents the benefit of choosing how their children would learn – whether virtually or in-person,” Governor Bryan said. “Last school year, the Department of Education had an extremely successful return of students to the school campuses, and we believe now is the right time to begin the process of bringing students back, as vaccinations have seen an encouraging increase territory-wide in recent weeks.”  

School administrators will return to campuses on Aug. 31, while teachers, other professionals and support staff will return on Sept. 1. Teachers who will resume in-person instruction will conduct virtual classes from 8-10 a.m., Sept. 1-3, and use the remainder of the workday to prepare their classrooms. 

RETURN TO IN-PERSON LEARNING  

• Schools that open for in-person learning on Sept. 7 will revert to virtual learning, if guided by the VIDOH to do so, should an increase in COVID-19 cases impact in-person operations 
• Students or staff exhibiting any signs of illness should remain home and seek medical attention 
• The Department of Education has equipped its schools with the necessary technology to seamlessly move from in-person operations to virtual operations when necessary  
• All students needing a laptop or MiFi internet device have been issued these items -additional MiFi devices will be made available in early September 
• Students are required to be dressed in full uniform while on campus  
• Visitors, including parents, are not allowed on school premises without an appointment 

CAMPUS SAFEY PROTOCOLS  

Masks  

• Students and staff are required to wear masks that cover the nose and mouth while on campus; masks are considered a part of the school uniform  

• Regular breaks are incorporated into the school day or on an as-need basis for students to remove their masks outside 

Handwashing/Sanitization  

• Frequent handwashing and/or use of hand sanitizer is a normal part of the school day  
• Additional handwashing stations have been placed throughout school campuses; bathrooms and classrooms have been retrofitted with automatic paper towel, soap and hand sanitizer dispensers  

Social Distancing  

• Under the guidance of the V.I. Department of Health, a two-feet distance will be maintained between desks and students/staff are required to maintain three-feet social distancing when traversing the campus  

Plexiglas Barriers   

• Plexiglas barriers are installed at teacher desks, at student desks in grades PreK-3^rd, and at front offices. These barriers are not required by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or the VIDOH; the Department of Education installed the items as an added measure of safety for students and staff  

Temperature Checks  

• Temperature checks will be taken each morning before students and staff are granted entry into the school building  
• Isolation rooms have been made available on each school campus to accommodate students and staff exhibiting signs of illness  

COVID-19 ON-CAMPUS TESTING  

• With support from the VIDOH and the consent of parents, schools will conduct regular COVID-19 testing of students 
• The Department of Education has also partnered with Affinity Empowering, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contractor, to bring PCR testing to K-12 students 

VACCINATION 

• The Department of Education strongly encourages all employees and students age 12 and older to get vaccinated 
• The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Health and the teacher’s unions will host a series of on-campus vaccination drives for school-based personnel during the month of September 
• To schedule an appointment for a FREE COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.covid19usvi.com/vaccines. 

SCHOOL LUNCH  

• Students in grades PreK-3 will receive packaged breakfast and lunch meals in their classrooms  
• Other students may retrieve breakfast and lunch, in a grab-and-go format, from a designated area on the school campus 
• Cafeterias will remain closed  
• Parents/guardians of students learning virtually may visit the meal distribution site closest to their home to pick up meals (see distribution sites below) 

SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION   

• School bus transportation will resume regular operations Sept. 7 in the STTJ District and Sept. 13 in the STX District; a comprehensive bus schedule will be released to the public 
• Students and bus operators are required to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth while on the school bus  
• Under guidance from the VIDOH, no more than two students are allowed per seat  
• The VIDOH will conduct regular site visits to bus stops to ensure safety protocols are being followed   

For the last three months of the 2020-2021 school year—March through May—the Department of Education resumed in-person learning for students in grades PreK-3^rd, Special Education self-contained classes, and Career & Technical Education students enrolled in a specific career pathway. 

 

Meal Distribution Sites 2021-2022 School Year

 

ST. CROIX MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES 

Juanita Gardine K-8 School 

Lew Muckle Elementary School 

Ricardo Richards Elementary School 

Alfredo Andrews Elementary School 

John H. Woodson Jr. High School 

St. Croix Educational Complex High School 

Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 School 

Arthur A. Richards K-8 Modular Campus 

Claude O. Markoe Elementary School 

 

ST. THOMAS MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES
Bordeaux (Near Bus Stop) 

Michael Kirwin Terrace Community Center 

Contant Knolls Community Center 

Savan Basketball Court 

Ulla F. Muller Elementary School 

Paul M. Pearson Gardens Community Center 

Oswald Harris Court Community Center 

Winston Raymo Community Center 

Joseph Sibilly Elementary School (Front Entrance) 

Lovenlund Housing Development 

Bovoni Methodist Church 

Anna’s Retreat Basketball Court 

Tutu Valley (Near Bus Stop) 

Ezra Fredericks Ball Park 

 

ST. JOHN MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES 

Julius E. Sprauve School  

George Simmons Terrace 

Bellevue Area 

Calabash Boom 

Coral Bay Fire Station 

Pine Peace 

Chocolate Hole 

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