With the closing of Hovensa and the overall state of the economy on St. Croix, the Department of Education anticipates an influx of new students into the public school system for the 2012-2013 school year. In order to accommodate the increase, the St. Croix District has developed a school/estate redistricting plan that is set to take effect in August, and the public is asked to join Superintendent Gary Molloy next month for a series of meetings that will outline the plan and its potential impacts, according to a press release issued Friday by the V.I. Department of Education.
The entire redistricting process is expected to be completed within two years to allow for minimal interruptions for parents, their children and the schools. Molloy explained this week that the ultimate goal is to have all students attending the school closest to where they live.
"All of the island’s estates have already been re-aligned to make sure that happens, so all new students being registered for the 2012-2013 school year will adhere to the new redistrict estate plan and be registered for the school closest to where they live," Molloy said.
He announced that registration for new students entering kindergarten for the 2012-2013 school year will begin from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24. Registration for all other new students will begin in June since these students must have a complete report card as one of the requirements for registration.
Based on the new estate plan, new bus stops will also be designated, along with the establishment of new bus routes. All existing students will adhere to the new bus stops for pickups and drop offs, but must show their ID in order to ride the bus, according to Molloy. Bus service will not be provided to students deemed "out of district."
Molloy and members of his redistricting committee will soon be meeting with each school’s Parent Teacher Association to fully explain the plan and to address concerns. Meetings with the PTAs at Pearl B. Larsen Elementary and John H. Woodson Junior High have already been held, and Molloy has continued to make an appearance on Education’s weekly radio show, scheduled for Saturday mornings on 107.9 FM (Da Vybe).
The public is also invited to ask questions at meetings that will be announced after the St. Thomas-St. John Carnival season.
