The V.I. Department of Education recently celebrated a significant construction milestone at the new Arthur A. Richards PreK-8 School site according to the VI Consortium. The recent concrete pour signifies a significant construction milestone for the new school development project. Read more about the 3 planned phases of construction in this article here.
The Virgin Islands Department of Education held a groundbreaking ceremony in February 23 to announce the start of the $163 million construction of the new Arthur A. Richards PreK-8 School, marking the first time in nearly three decades a school has been built in the Territory. The school, which will feature state-of-the-art learning spaces, will be located at the site of the former Evelyn M. Williams Elementary School. More information on the school’s plans can be found here.
The previous Arthur A. Richards Jr. High School was severely damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. According to the US Virgin Island Department of Education, the new school campus is designed to be net zero energy ready and is purposefully sited in an E-W orientation to maximize opportunities for passive cooling. The project will use the existing ecology and systems on the site and the culture and heritage of the islands in the design of the seven-building campus. 3D visualizations from the Department of Education below.