September 4, 2021
‘No V.I. Child Goes Hungry’ Feeding Initiative To Operate Territory-wide Beginning Sept. 7

ST. THOMAS, USVI – The Virgin Islands Department of Education’s “No V.I. Child Goes Hungry” Feeding Initiative will operate in both districts beginning Sept. 7, following the suspension of the program in the St. Thomas-St. John District on Aug. 23, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases among the district's food service workers.

Workers in the St. Thomas-St. John and St. Croix districts have undergone COVID-19 testing and/or been vaccinated, and provided additional training to ensure the feeding program can operate safely.

Parents and/or guardians are invited to pick up packaged breakfast and lunch meals at designated sites in or near their neighborhoods, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9-11:30 a.m., while supplies last. Meals are not served on weekends or holidays. Students attending in-person classes beginning Sept. 7 will receive their meals at school. The Ricardo Richards distribution site on St. Croix has closed due to low participation at that location.

Now in its third year, the initiative was launched in March 2020 and has served more than 1,071,897 meals to students attending the Territory’s public, private, and parochial schools since campuses closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“While our kitchen workers have undergone COVID-19 training this summer and multiple times last school year, with the emergence of the more-contagious and deadlier Delta variant, we are making every effort to further prepare workers to safely handle food and navigate the kitchen environment,” said Assistant Commissioner Victor Somme III, whose office spearheads the feeding initiative. “Many Virgin Islands’ families depend on us to provide nutritious meals for their children, and we want to ensure our employees feel confident in practicing the required safety protocols while preparing those meals.”

ID is not required when picking up meals; however, masks are required to be worn and recipients are asked to remain in their vehicles for drive-through service.

Meal Distribution Sites 2021-2022 School Year

ST. CROIX MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES

Juanita Gardine K-8 School
Lew Muckle Elementary School
Alfredo Andrews Elementary School
John H. Woodson Jr. High School
St. Croix Educational Complex High School
Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 School
Arthur A. Richards K-8 Modular Campus
Claude O. Markoe Elementary School

ST. THOMAS MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES
Bordeaux (Near Bus Stop)
Michael Kirwin Terrace Community Center
Contant Knolls Community Center
Savan Basketball Court
Ulla F. Muller Elementary School
Paul M. Pearson Gardens Community Center
Oswald Harris Court Community Center
Winston Raymo Community Center
Joseph Sibilly Elementary School (Front Entrance)
Lovenlund Housing Development
Bovoni Methodist Church
Anna’s Retreat Basketball Court
Tutu Valley (Near Bus Stop)
Ezra Fredericks Ball Park ST. JOHN MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES
Julius E. Sprauve School
George Simmons Terrace
Bellevue Area
Calabash Boom
Coral Bay Fire Station
Pine Peace
Chocolate Hole

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'No V.I. Child Goes Hungry' Feeding Initiative to Operate Territory-wide Beginning Sept. 7 

September 4, 2021
School Bus Service on St. Croix Slated to Resume Sept. 13, St. Thomas-St. John District School Bus Service Begins Sept. 7

ST. CROIX, USVI – The Virgin Islands Department of Education, St. Croix District, is slated to resume school bus service on Sept. 13 for general education students in grades PreK-3rd and CTE students enrolled in specific career pathways. Parents of these students are asked to transport their children to and from campuses when schools open for in-person learning on Sept. 7.

Special Education self-contained students on St. Croix attending in-person classes are not affected and will receive school bus transportation beginning Sept. 7. The St. Thomas-St. John District will begin bus service on Sept. 7 for all students.

The revised start date for school-bus service in the St. Croix District is the result of an unforeseen delay during final negotiations with the school-bus vendor.

“We have been working diligently with our school-bus vendors and the various negotiation teams and are pleased to be able to provide school-bus service to St. Croix families on September 13,” said St. Croix District Superintendent Carlos McGregor. “We thank parents and families for their flexibility as schools prepare to reopen safely for students and staff.”

While school bus service will be available in both districts this year, parents who can transport their children to and from schools are encouraged to do so. This will aid in the compliance of social distancing requirements on school buses. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines allow for up to two students per seat, a decrease from the three-person per seat standard arrangement.

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School Bus Service Slated to Resume Sept. 13 in St. Croix District