Proposed Relocation of Woodson Students to Eulalie Rivera Sparks Capacity and Facility Concerns

The proposed relocation of John H. Woodson Jr. High School students and the wider redistricting effort underway in the territory drew concern Friday from members of the V.I. Board of Education, who questioned whether the plans are practical and adequately communicated.

During an emergency meeting, board members discussed reports from recent school visits on St. Croix indicating that some officials believe moving Woodson students to Eulalie Rivera K-8 would be inappropriate. Board member Winona Hendricks said that school representatives felt the receiving campus lacked facilities necessary to support Woodson students’ involvement in athletics and community activities. “They felt that there was no gymnasium there or nothing to accommodate their strong involvement with sports and other community activities,” she said.

Board member Mary Moorhead raised additional concerns about the condition and capacity of the Eulalie Rivera campus. Noting that “Eulalie Rivera school enrollment is quite high,” and that the campus “is not of the best condition,” she questioned how the facility would absorb additional middle school students. “Technically, there’s no cafeteria, there’s no auditorium,” she said. “There’s so many things that are lacking at Eulalie Rivera that to really…relocate the students of the Woodson school to that facility would be sort of ridiculous to my determination,” she concluded.

Board member Abigail Hendricks Cagan echoed that sentiment. “Trying to put middle schoolers into a school that was designed for elementary children…it just doesn’t fit,” she said