ST. CROIX — After heavy rainfall forced the closure of government offices and schools across the Virgin Islands on Thursday, officials have announced that all schools in the St. Croix District will remain closed on Friday, September 19.
The V.I. Department of Education explained that continued adverse weather conditions have left several campuses in need of assessment and cleanup. While students will not attend classes, essential school employees — including administrators, custodians, monitors, and kitchen staff — are required to report to their respective campuses to assist with evaluations and restoration efforts.
In contrast, all students, faculty, and staff in the St. Thomas–St. John District are expected to return to school as scheduled on Friday. On Thursday, some campuses in that district experienced disruptions caused by electrical service interruptions.
VIDE said it has been in contact with the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA), which has confirmed that electrical feeders are being restored. Full restoration is expected in time for schools to reopen.
Thursday began with confusion as VIDE initially announced that schools would remain open despite a flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service. Parents reported students being turned away from campuses on St. Croix, including Central High, the Educational Complex, and Eulalie Rivera K-8 School.
By 8:10 a.m., Governor Albert Bryan Jr. confirmed that all government offices and schools across the territory would close for the day due to worsening conditions. “I am driving around the island and it is really bad,” the governor said at the time, adding that additional rainfall was expected to linger.
Officials stressed that they will continue to monitor conditions closely. Residents are urged to stay informed through official government and VIDE channels for updates on school operations and recovery efforts in the days ahead.
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