Schools
Board of Education Slams DOE's Plan To Resume In-Person Learning
The V.I. Board of Education called the DOE's decision "premature" and complained that it was "not made in collaboration with the board."
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — On Saturday, the Virgin Islands Board of Education released a statement criticizing the Department of Education's decision to return some students to in-person learning.
The Board called the decision "premature" and called for evidence that the schools were adequately prepared and had necessary safety procedures in place.
"The Board is against the return to in-person learning until the Department has attained the required clearances that attest to the readiness and safety of the territory's public schools and until there is documented evidence of the ability to safely provide instruction based on factors such as adequate staffing and properly prepared classroom spaces," read the Board's statement released on August 27.
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The announcement comes on the heels of the Department of Education's announcement that select public school students would return to campus for in-person learning.
In response to that announcement, the Board of Education held an emergency meeting in which they demanded a meeting with DOE officials to be held no later than Wednesday, Sept 1.
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The board also outlined several specific areas of concern regarding students attending classes in person:
• The absence of school nurses in every school.
• The Department's decision to return the PreK-3 students to in-person learning, considering that this population is not eligible for vaccinations.
• The Department's ability to protect the students returning to in-person learning from COVID-19 and the new Delta variant.
• The Department's ability to support the mental health and well-being of the students returning to in-person learning.
• The Department's ability to meet the technological needs of students.
• The Department's efforts to ensure that each classroom has adequate ventilation.
• The Department's strategy for conducting COVID-19 testing for education personnel and students prior to entering the school campus.
The Department of Education has not released a public response or announced any change of plans.
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