Education Department Ends Ability for Families to Enroll Children Outside Their Assigned St. Croix Schools

The V.I. Department of Education has announced that it will discontinue parent district waivers in the St. Croix District and implement a comprehensive district-wide redistricting process beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, a change that will require students to attend schools strictly based on their verified home address.

According to the department, the policy change will take effect at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 school year. Effective May 2026, parent district waiver requests—which have historically allowed families to seek enrollment in schools outside of a student’s assigned residential attendance zone—will no longer be accepted. Beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year, attendance at schools outside of a student’s designated zone will no longer be an option.

As part of the transition, VIDE will carry out districtwide redistricting for all schools across St. Croix. Under the new system, student assignments will be determined strictly by verified home address information recorded in the student information system. Families will receive written notification identifying their child’s assigned school for the upcoming school year.

The department provided an example of how the change will affect current enrollment. Students who attend Pearl B. Larsen PreK–8 School but live outside of the school’s designated attendance zone—including students residing in the Frederiksted area—will be reassigned to schools aligned with their verified home address and established zoning boundaries.