Instead of parents filing a lawsuit to force the Department of Education to make improvements to St. Croix schools, construction crews are actually at work.
Dissatisfied with the Department of Education’s repairs to damaged schools following Hurricane Lenny last November, parents enlisted the help of Christiansted attorney Michael Joseph, intending to sue to force the government to repair the long list of problems.
Using the threat of a lawsuit as a stick, Joseph, who is working pro bono, managed to assemble officials from Education, Property and Procurement, and Public Works, as well as Sens. Adelbert Bryan and Norman Jn. Baptiste; members of several Parent Teachers Associations; and the head of the St. Croix chapter of the American Federation of Teachers to hash out a solution.
The result is substantial progress in repairs and renovations at Central High School, Elena Christian Junior High School and Charles H. Emanuel and Pearl B. Larsen Elementary Schools.
"We had a hell of a meeting," Joseph said, "and from that stemmed what is now unprecedented repairs to schools."
Joseph said he had drafted a "serious" lawsuit charging the government with denying children the right to an education. But with the cooperation of Property and Procurement Commissioner Marc Biggs and education officials, he said there was no need to go to court.
"We don’t need to be filing lawsuits," Joseph said. "If we had filed, it would all be paper; there wouldn’t be any workmen."
Joseph said the work has been done at a "shocking pace" that has him "feeling proud of our government."
"I give the credit to Mr. Biggs and Joseph Ponteen" from the Attorney General’s Office, Joseph said, adding that Gov. Charles Turnbull’s emergency declaration concerning education helped expedite the bidding process.
St. Croix AFT President Cecil Benjamin said Joseph’s efforts in bringing all the players to the table — and holding off on the lawsuit — were a testament to what can be done when the community joins together.
"We must work together and solve our problems," Benjamin said. "People like Joseph can bring the community together."
Despite the work at the schools, there are some problems. Joseph said a local contractor at Pearl B. Larsen Elementary cannot begin work because it doesn’t have the required $1 million bonding.
"The bonding is outrageous," Joseph said. "Now we’re stopping work."
Meanwhile, more than $1.1 million is being spent to construct a new administration building at the 36-year-old Central High and to expand the current library, which shares the same building. Once the new administration building is completed, at a cost of $482,628, the old structure will be get a $637,216 renovation that will accommodate a new library. Funding for the project is from Public Finance Authority bond proceeds and an appropriation from the Legislature.
Overall, the structural improvement projects at Central are expected to cost more than $2.6 million, including plumbing and electrical work, new roofs on the nursing and vocational education buildings, the music suite and gymnasium, cafeteria, the JROTC building and classroom wings 200 through 900. Funding is coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Elena Christian Jr. High School was forced into double sessions after Hurricane Lenny, when an entire wing was condemned. Joseph said engineers are currently in the second phase of the project, analyzing the scope of work needed for the next phase. Education Commissioner Ruby Simmonds has said the goal of the department and contractors is to have work throughout the territory completed by the beginning of the new school year on Aug. 25, but Benjamin was not totally optimistic.
"There is a tremendous amount of work being done," he said, "but I don’t think all of that will be done by the end of August."
