Dec. 27, 2007 — With the St. John school land lease bill now awaiting action by the U.S. Senate, Gov. John deJongh Jr. said he's received an endorsement on the bill from Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. — though the senator is not on the committee that is expected to act on the legislation.
According to a press release from Government House, deJongh actively lobbied Rockefeller and other U.S. senators about the need to lease land within V.I. National Park land to build a kindergarten-through-grade-12 school.
Rockefeller, in a Dec. 11 letter to the governor, wrote that while the Senate calendar is extremely busy for the remainder of the year, he hopes that the bill can move through committee and be passed before Congress adjourns for the year so that the children of St. John may have a new school as soon as possible.
"In addition to conservation my family has staunchly supported education — and more specifically access to education with the same passion and dedication," Rockefeller wrote.
Rockefeller also wrote that while he does have concerns about the precedent of leasing land within a national park, he understands that the geography and topography of St. John pose unique problems.
"I know that your government and the National Park Service have come to loggerheads over this issue and that you now must find a solution to allow the children of St. John the educational opportunity they deserve," Rockefeller wrote.
Government House spokesman Jean Greaux said Thursday that the governor contacted Rockefeller because his uncle, Laurance S. Rockefeller, spearheaded the acquisition of the land that makes up most of the park.
In his letter to Rockefeller, the governor pointed out that when the national park was developed more than 50 years ago, the educational needs of local residents were not fully contemplated.
“While the park has developed into one of the gems of the National Park system, it has done so at some considerable cost to the current generation of native residents,” deJongh said.
He said that the school-aged population has grown beyond the capacity of St. John’s outdated educational infrastructure.
“Many of St. John’s children are faced with a daily commute by ferries to attend schools on St. Thomas. When the seas are rough, they cannot attend school. Some children begin their days at 4 a.m. and do not return to their homes before dark,” deJongh said.
St. John Administrator Leona Smith said Thursday she was glad the governor had lobbied Rockefeller.
"I'd like to see this come to fruition," she said, referring to building a combined school on St. John.
However, she said she'd like to see the National Park Service give the land to the local government rather than lease it.
Lorelei Monsanto, a member of the One Campus Group that has long worked on the school land issue, said the governor should be lobbying the senators who are on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which is expected to take up the bill.
The press release indicates that earlier in the year, Rockefeller traveled to the Virgin Islands at deJongh’s invitation to met with St. John residents and see firsthand the need for a new school on St. John. DeJongh also wrote that several options have been considered including the swapping of national park land for islets, cays and other government-owned lands, but all such efforts have failed.
“Laurance Rockefeller promised Virgin Islanders that the park would not exist at the expense of the basic needs and aspirations of the St. John population. I believe that the park’s visionaries would agree that today, provisions should be made for the local population. I strongly believe that our children deserve a public education that is safe and accessible,” deJongh said.
Greaux said that anyone with an interest in the park land lease will be invited to meet with the governor to discuss the matter.
The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in October. It was sponsored by Delegate Donna M. Christensen.
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