At STX School Groundbreaking, Bryan Urges Action on STJ School Land Swap

As dignitaries gathered for Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the new Arthur A. Richards school on St. Croix — the territory’s first new public school in 27 years — Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. urged residents to act now to provide a school for students on St. John.

Bryan’s statement came in response to opposition by some to a land-swap on St. John between the V.I. government and the National Park Service that would allow moving ahead with construction of a new school on the island.

The NPS has agreed to extend the comment period through March 15 to give the public more time to weigh in on the proposed land swap between the federal and territorial governments. It had been set to expire Feb. 15.

Multiple requests for an extension were made by ancestral St. Johnians at a three-hour online town hall meeting on the proposal held Monday afternoon.

A video of the meeting, co-hosted by V.I. Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett and Senator-at-large Angel Bolques, is available on Plaskett’s Facebook page.

The exchange of properties would allow the territory to take advantage of Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to build a new pre-K to 12 school in Estate Catherineberg on St. John.

Under the proposal, the V.I. government would give the NPS title to 17.9-acre Whistling Cay. In exchange, the NPS would give the territory 11.3 acres of property in Estate Catherineberg and a cash payment of $210,000. Details of the proposal are available here.