Eight years after the ferocious winds of hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged the Virgin Islands, officials gathered at St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie High School to celebrate a new beginning. Gov. Albert Bryan and Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach joined officials from the Education Department and the Office of Disaster Recovery at a groundbreaking ceremony on a $334 million reconstruction project.
Government leaders welcomed members of the construction and management team chosen to carry out a four-year project to rebuild St. Thomas’ 106-year-old public high school. James Benton, principal-in-charge of Consigli/Benton, led the host of speakers appearing in the Ruth E. Thomas Auditorium Thursday morning. “I understand that a school is more than a building. It is a place where lives are shaped and futures begin. It is a school our people know, a school our families care about, and a school our community is deeply invested in seeing rebuilt with excellence,” Benton said.
Those in attendance had a glimpse of the campus concept. One of the architects who worked on the new school design shared some of the details. “It’s actually going to be a tiered series of buildings similar to what the original Charlotte Amalie High School was,” said Michael Reid from SMMA Architects. “It’s three learning forts; each one is a floor higher than the previous one, and the gymnasium and the dining facility are on the lower part of the facility.”
The academic learning forts are supplemented by dedicated space for Career and Technical Education in Cosmetology, Construction, Automotive Repair, Occupational/Physical Therapy, and Nursing. There is also a media center which incorporates the music suite.
Disaster Recovery Director Adrienne Williams-Octalien said the CAHS reconstruction was part of a project bundle, along with work to be done at the Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School. Getting the work done in the education sector is testing the capacity of everyone involved, she said.
Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington called the groundbreaking “a great day.” Bryan agreed with both of his cabinet members, heralding progress made since the 2017 storms, and pointing to the anticipated ribbon-cutting of the reconstructed Arthur Richards School this summer on St. Croix.
But the governor added that moving the project through to completion will test and sometimes strain the efforts of those involved.
“As we rebuild Charlotte Amalie High School, we are strengthening public education, expanding the pathway to skills and workforce readiness, and making clear that our students must be ready not just to witness the territory’s transformation, but to help shape it. This school is an investment in their future and a declaration that we believe in what they can become,” the governor said.
Construction of the new Charlotte Amalie High School is expected to be completed by the end of 2030, according to a member of the contractor’s team.
To learn more about the New Charlotte Amalie High School and the Education Department’s plan to build new schools in the Virgin Islands, visit www.newschoolsvide.com.
