Protesters, some carrying signs, gathered at Dober Elementary School on Monday morning in an effort to draw attention to conditions at the school.
The issue that finally forced parents and teachers to go public in protest was the lack of workbooks for students that parents paid for months ago.
The protest drew 25 parents and several teachers, according to the V.I. Independent.
The workbooks, as it turned out, had never been ordered. PTA President Marva Lettsome said the supplier refused to send the workbooks because the Education Department has owed the company money for three years.
Other problems at the school include lack of general maintenance, holes in outdoor stairs, electrical and plumbing problems and few working toilets.
It was also disclosed that a building slated for use by the school is being rented to a furniture store while Dober rents space at a church to hold band and choir practice.
The building was rented to the U.S. Furniture Liquidation Center by the Schneider administration, reportedly because there was no money to convert it to classroom space. However, the money realized from the lease was not set aside for the work but went into the general fund, according to Darin Richardson, former Dober Elementary School PTA president.
VI Source Archive · 1998–2015