Island life with young kids

My son's 5 year old boy attends ST. Mary''s in Chritiansted. I think it's @ $700 a month. My 21/2 YO granddaughter goes to a private daycare for 3-4 hours a few days a week and that is $11/hr. If your daughter likes the sea and the beach there is plenty to do.
Try the search function for more info in both this forum and the community forum.

To clarify, the public schools here are awful, so you'll want to put your child in private school.

As a teacher on the island, I can say that the schools are definitely not like they are on the mainland, but not all public schools are awful. If your children are at the elementary level, they may be able to fit in and be successful. There are some wonderful teachers on the island who are working very hard. Your children's success relies heavily on parental involvement. Visit your child's classroom regularly. Volunteer on field trips. Speak with your child's teacher to see what is being learned. If you're not happy, then speak with the administration.

If you're looking for an experience similar to the states, then you will need to enroll your child in private school. If you can stay involved, and value the cultural experiences of VI public schools, then try that route.

When you visit in May, try to visit a school or two. Walk through the classrooms. Visit with the teachers and students. Only when you see and experience for yourself, will you be able to decide what is right for your children.

You might try a week of a camp while you're here. There are some great experiences to be had.

If you haven't done a search on this forum yet, both of the major private schools on island run about $11K per year per child. It's a major financial commitment and something to take into consideration when calculating your finances. Good luck!

Lisa

Hello Everyone,

I was hoping that someone could tell me what it is really like to live on St. Croix with a family and kids. My husband and I have a 2year old daughter (who will be about 4 by the time we move down there) and we wanted to know what the schools are like and are there good activities for us to do as a family? We lived in Lake Havasu City, AZ and we are hoping that island living will be a much better experience than that place (total party town, lots of bars, drinking on the beaches of the lake and lots of sexual acts right out in the open, even though it is illegal). Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated! We have never made such a HUGE move before so not quite sure what to really expect. We are extremely excited about it though. We will be there next May for a long vacation to get more details forst hand. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!! 🙂

If I remember correctly, St Croix is not the same kind of "party place" as Lake Havasu. Havasu was more the Budweiser and biker in your face party, while St Croix is the party hearty with respect place. Remember drinking here is the number one recreation, right after beach related activities. However it is easy to avoid the party crowd by staying away from the bars and big in town celebrations.

The public schools are getting better, but still need to evolve. The private schools are somewhat expensive. However, I wish I could have been a kid growing up here.

Your visit here will help answer many of your questions. It is nothing like you have imagined.

Thank you everyone for your replies!! I really appreciate your input! 🙂 I can't wait til we visit! Everyone makes it sound like such a great place to live, even with some of the downsides.