ST. CROIX — All public schools in the St. Croix District will reopen on Tuesday, August 26 after the V.I. Police Department (VIPD) and supporting agencies conducted island-wide searches and declared campuses safe, according to the V.I. Department of Education (VIDE).
The announcement follows a day of closures on Monday, when the district shut down every public school after violent threats circulated across multiple platforms. The threats explicitly targeted schools with racial language, one of which read:
“Cody Conrad, and I’m going to bomb the fuck out of fucking complex. I’m going to bomb Central, I’m going to bomb Woodson. I’m going to bomb all the fucking VI schools that are black, that has black folks in it. I don’t like you blacks. And I’m going to bomb the fucking school you.”
Initially, VIDE limited closures to St. Croix Central High School, St. Croix Educational Complex High School, and the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center. But as concerns grew—particularly after a significant number of school monitors reported out sick, leaving campuses severely understaffed—the department expanded the shutdown to cover the entire district.
On Monday, school buses were dispatched to pick up students for immediate dismissal, while the VIPD, working with federal partners, began security sweeps of every public school campus. Though no active threats were made against St. Thomas–St. John District schools, precautionary sweeps were carried out there as well. Those schools remained open.
By late Monday, officials confirmed that all campuses in both districts had been thoroughly searched and cleared. To maintain heightened vigilance, VIPD officers will remain stationed at St. Croix schools during Tuesday’s reopening, providing a visible presence and support to administrators and students.
VIDE also confirmed that the presence of school monitors across the district has been restored, resolving the staffing shortage that complicated operations on Monday.
The VIPD emphasized that threats of violence against schools are never taken lightly. Making such threats is a crime under Virgin Islands law, carrying serious legal consequences for anyone found responsible. The investigation remains active, and law enforcement has not released additional details.
VIDE expressed gratitude to parents, guardians, faculty, and the wider Virgin Islands community for their patience and cooperation during the disruption, reiterating that “the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority.”
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