Mold and Heat Force CAHS Faculty, Students Out of Classrooms

On Thursday morning, nearly half of the faculty at Charlotte Amalie High School (CAHS) on St. Thomas walked out of their classrooms.

Citing unbearable working conditions that have persisted for years. As the heat soared, teachers, some wearing surgical masks, gathered under trees or in the corners of the campus, handing out worksheets to students while seeking refuge from their sweltering classrooms, where many air conditioning units were not functioning.

Biology teacher Juanita Frett explained that the decision to leave the classrooms was driven by a commitment to not violate their teaching contracts. “If a room is compromised with mold or other irritants, administrators have to find us a better place to teach,” Frett said. Consequently, many teachers moved to the school auditorium, where about eight teachers had already been holding classes since the start of the school year.

Frett, a former CAHS student, expressed deep concern over the deteriorating conditions, noting that this year’s return to school was the worst she had seen. “It’s as if nothing has been done,” she remarked, pointing out that the installation of sprung shelters and modular classrooms on the track and field—a known flood zone, she said—has likely exacerbated the issue.