Arthur A Richards K-8 School was closed Friday because of an odor affecting the campus’s air quality that has resulted in some students and staff becoming ill, students from Arthur A. Richards will begin a double session schedule on the campus of Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 School, effective Monday, March 9.
St. Croix District Insular Superintendent Carlos McGregor made the announcement at Monday night meetings with parents of both schools at the St. Croix Educational Complex High School auditorium. The schools’ faculty and staff had been told of the changes at meetings held earlier in the day.
In a news release issued Monday by the Department of Education,
Eulalie R. Rivera and Arthur A. Richards K-8 schools will assume the following schedules on March 9:
Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 School Campus
– 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Arthur A. Richards K-8 School
– 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lunch and school bus service will be provided as usual.
McGregor said the Arthur A. Richards K-8 School modular campus will remain closed until the source of the odor is identified and mitigated. A task force has been established to address the specific needs of the campus.
“Right now, on the Arthur Richards campus, we will continue to do the necessary testing to see what is the cause of the odor,” he said. “We will not return to the Arthur Richards campus until it is deemed safe and healthy for students and staff to return.”
The Department of Education continues to work closely with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA on this matter.
