Legislature to Convene Emergency Session on School Maintenance and Infrastructure Concerns

Members of the American Federation of Teachers Local 1825, which represents St. Thomas-St. John, and Local 1826, which represents St. Croix, held simultaneous protests on April 20th in order “to voice legitimate concerns to the Bryan administration and public about our public schools’ unhealthy and unsafe work environments,” according to an advertisement for the AFT’s “Day of Action Protest.”

Just over a week earlier, Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. joined Leontyne Jones, President of AFT’s Local 1825, on a tour of several public schools St. Thomas in particular need of crucial maintenance.

“My major concern is that I don’t want people to start looking at this as normal,” Pres. Jones said, according to a press release following the tour. “People shouldn’t look at our children’s closed cafeterias as normal. They shouldn’t think it’s normal for our kids not to have a green space to play. It isn’t normal for kids and teachers to be in moldy classrooms. Are we telling our children that being less than mediocre is the best we can do? I know we can do better than this and we should do better. And we should take it seriously because I don’t think we are.”

During the “Day of Action” held on April 20th, members of Local 1825 marched from Emancipation Gardens to the Legislature. The very next day, Senator Alma Francis Heyliger announced that she had penned a letter to the heads of the Department of Education, Board of Education, the Virgin Islands Chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, and the Chairperson of the Legislative Committee on Education and Workforce Development in which she called for collaboration to address the concerns raised by education activists.

According to the press release from Sen. Francis Heyliger, she ““believes this moment presents an opportunity for us to work together for the benefit of our children” and “wishes to create a space which includes teachers, students, and elected and appointed officials to discuss how to move forward to address the concerns impacting the learning environment of the Territory’s children.”

“We must all work to create an education system which is the shining jewel of the Territory,” said Sen. Francis Heyliger in the statement. “Our children deserve the very best education that we can provide them. Our teachers deserve to work in a safe environment which allows them to shine as education professionals.”

Later that day, Senator Genevieve R. Whitaker, Chairwoman of the 34th Legislature’s Committee on Education and Workforce Development announced that the committee had slated the emergency hearing for May 2nd, following the Carnival festivities.

The agenda for the emergency session of the CEWD Committee cites “critical issues with respect to the state of our schools, including but not limited to delays in the installation of kitchen equipment, insufficient school supplies, lack of running water, hazardous safety conditions, shortage of school nurses and medical supplies, as well as summer program plans, and learning loss prevention.”

In a subsequent op-ed published in the St. Thomas Source on April 25th, Local 1825’s Pres. Jones cited the Jane E. Tuitt Elementary School as a primary example of outstanding needs for maintenance, but noted it is no different than any of the other 12 public schools located in the district.

“Modular buildings are the new norm for classrooms,” said Jones, with regards to the schools in the STT-STJ district. “These structures were supposed to be temporary. A lot of our school buildings have serious ventilation and mold issues. How can you breathe easy knowing these children cannot? How could you not know what is going on? Many of you live with, are related to and are friends with the same people who must show up every day.”

Ahead of the emergency session, Pres. Jones implored lawmakers to remain focused and vigilant with regards to issues that pre-date many of their terms in office.

"Let us not make this hearing, held at the taxpayers’ expense, a sideshow to direct blame at one person or department because this endeavor indeed takes a village,” wrote Jones in the op-ed. “I ask all legislators assigned to this committee what their role is in ensuring the repair of schools. This question needs answering because these issues were here before your election, when your voters elected you and continue to go unresolved as you remain in office.”