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Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. will hold a news conference on Thursday, April 7, 2011 to announce the Virgin Islands participation in the Department of the Interior’s Assessment of Buildings and Classrooms initiative. The governor will be joined by Interior Department Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs Anthony Babauta. The news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Government House on St. Thomas.
The initiative which will be announced Thursday comes against the backdrop of a report by the Office of Insular Affairs which provided a rudimentary, initial assessment of public school structures. According to the report, throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, there are a total of 1,561 public buildings which help comprise a total of 125 campuses and serve a total population of 70,750 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition, the first phase of the initiative supports and makes recommendations for undertaking an additional, more focused study.
De Jongh said that the information gathered by the initiative will provide insight concerning the overall physical condition of public school facilities; an accounting of deferred maintenance and replacement values; and identify trends in maintenance practices and requirements in order to pinpoint opportunities for efficiencies.
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