public schools

Did you ever find out about the schools? My husband, 2 kids and I are strongly considering moving to St. Croix as well before the next school year. Have you been able to connect w/ any local expats (I know we are not really expats coming from mainland USA)?
I am having problems finding current message board comments or blogs? Got any info to share?

There's TONS of info on this message board. Go up to Search and click it. Under search messages write in School or schools, leave authors blank, select general/relocating under forums, under Options click arrow and select all dates and hit search.

For the most part the census is public school is horrible for several reasons. But you can read all about it. This topic often causes a flame war.

This is a very heated topic which has been discussed ad nauseum on this board. Use the search feature, type "school" and be sure to set the search range to a year.

We've lived here a year and a half and have met a huge number of parents. Those coming from the states have chosen (again, this is only my personal experience -- no blasting , please!) almost exclusively to send their children to private school, or home school if they can't afford it. Private school here is an enormous expense, but I don't believe that our childrens' education and happiness is something that I can put a price tag on. (toninski: To give you an idea, three children at Country Day could cost you in excess of $41,000 per year, depending on their ages.)

Good luck!

There are some good schools like Pearl Larson Elementary on the East End but there is still the cultural differences. How old are the kids and where are they coming from?

Also a good thing to know is teachers will hit children for misbehaving in the islands in the public school system.

A long time ago when I was in college, I worked for the public schools in CA (before they became bad). All the higher ups in the district like the directors, principals, psychologists, etc all put their kids in private school in Europe. I thought that was very sad that they wanted to flee the schools and not help to change them, until.........................
I put my own kids in public school for 1 yr. I saw firsthand that you couldn't change the schools and they didn't in fact get a decent education.
I put my kids in private school, had to pay alot of money but it was the best decision I ever made for my kids.
Today, they have their own families, are professionals and are productive. They turned out well with the help of a good private education.

No matter where you are, what state you live in, private schools are the only way to go.

No matter where you are, what state you live in, private schools are the only way to go.

I would have to respectfully disagree. I'm a product of Chicago area public schools, have a masters degree, own a house, in a committed relationship, and financially okay to move to STX... all by the age of 30.

Also a good thing to know is teachers will hit children for misbehaving in the islands in the public school system.

my 5 year old experienced this corporal punishment his 1ST day of KINDERGARTEN!

No matter where you are, what state you live in, private schools are the only way to go.

I would have to respectfully disagree. I'm a product of Chicago area public schools, have a masters degree, own a house, in a committed relationship, and financially okay to move to STX... all by the age of 30.

Me too. I have yet to see the inside of a private school, but I'm doing better than 99% of the kids I knew who went to them. That's not to say that they aren't the best choice for some children or for some parts of the country, but they're not the best choice for everyone, everywhere. There are excellent public schools out there.

I also went to a good public school. I think the point is to give your kids a good education, whether it's public or private. Either way, you pay for it, with higher property taxes, or with private tuition.

Not going to get too deeply into this, but my two kids have been in public school here for 3 years....no problems at all and doing great..need any info message me

Also a good thing to know is teachers will hit children for misbehaving in the islands in the public school system.

Where does this happen? Anyone have documented examples?

Please, if you live here you would know. Just ask any parent with kids in public schools. The culture here does not see anything wrong with it IN GENERAL. You will often see parents disciplining their children with slaps or spanks in public here. Very hard to see.

Here are some previous threads on corporal punishment in USVI public schools:

Subject: Corporal Punishment allowed in USVI public schools
Date: September 2006
Summary: Doubt that corporal punishment is practiced
https://www.vimovingcenter.com/talk/read.php?4,51537

Subject: Public schools on STX
Date: September 2010
Summary: Corporal punishment is practiced
https://www.vimovingcenter.com/talk/read.php?4,144826

Also a good thing to know is teachers will hit children for misbehaving in the islands in the public school system.

Where does this happen? Anyone have documented examples?

As I stated early, my child experienced this his very 1st day of school. He is 5! I assure you, it has not happened again. If you voice yourself and make it know that you are not only an involved parent, but also that your child WILL let you know what happens in school, it's likely they will not want to deal with the parent and will think twice before striking your child. I had a full fledged meeting with, not only the teacher, but the school counselor, asst. principal, AND the principal. They did respect the fact that I will not allow any sort of corporal punishment and all had been well thus far.

Good luck!

In the state I am from, during the beginning of the school year, when all types of forms needed to filled out by parents, one was about corporal punishment. You had to check whether you as a parent would or would not allow it. It started in K all the way up to 12th grade.

The problem with making a decision about whether to BELIEVE opinions about the public schools here, is that if you move here, and come to agree with the negative opinions, then what? It's not like living in the States where you can just move 10 miles away to put your kid in a better school system.

When it comes to the public school debate an old quote comes to mind...A fool and his money are soon parted.

If anyone ever has any questions about a family moving here from the states and entering the public school system, either in this thread or during a search contact me and I will tell you the real deal, not hearsay. 3 years and counting.

Yeah it's always a good thing to trust the person who says to only trust me. No other parents opinions are relevant.

Yes, please! NAy info on the part of the island you live and the schools name and website if they have one.
Where are you from originally? My kids are 6 & 9.
Jen in Atlanta

@jkubatfam if interested message me and i'll answer and and all questions you have, I have 2 kids in public school here for 3 years, one is a blonde hair blue eyed child in elementary school...no cultural differences, problems or anything....please note I will not recommend the majority of the schools here for different reasons....but feel free to message me.

With all due respect yearasta, MOST of the discussion about public schools here have not had particularly bad things to say about some of the elementary schools. It's the secondary schools where the race, culture, and quality problems seem to arise.

That said, the private schools are of varying quality as well, and they are not immune to race, culture and occasionaly quality issues. (Quality as in teacher turnover, for example). As a parent of a high schooler on Stx, these issues are a fact of life here.

I am interested in hearing more factual information regarding the public school system on St Thomas and which schools are known to be "good." My family and I are relocating to St Thomas from California this summer. We have four kids ages 2,4,6,8. We visited in April, with the primary goal being to investigate schools. To sum it up, the only information I was able to get, was that our only option is private school. My husband and I are big advocates of public schools and are struggling with the idea that private is the only way to go. Can anyone out there give us useful information on how to choose public vs private?

Have you guys researched the coast of living here? We came from California before moving here, and it's more expensive here by quite a bit. I can't imagine doing it with 4 kids. That may have come out rude, but unless you are pretty wealthy please do a pmv. Good Luck.