Some people may think that packing up and moving your life to an island is a bold move reserved only for those with no strings attached, but parents move with their kids to St. Croix all the time. If you’re ready to leave your winter coats, boots and snow shovels behind for beautiful beaches and tropical breezes, here are some tips from our team.
Schools
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here are several public, private, parochial and Montessori schools on St. Croix, plus an established home school network. Public schools K-12 are managed by the USVI Department of Education. Island schools offer programs from pre-k through elementary and middle school, college preparatory high school and vocational school.
When you visit St. Croix before your move, do your homework! Schedule school visits to ensure you find the right environment for you and your child. Ask questions about school uniforms, transportation and see if your child can shadow the class to experience a school day. As with choosing a stateside school, check school accreditation, standardized testing and college acceptance history.
St. Croix School Resources:
- The Virgin Islands Department of Education
- USVI Moving Center – Schools/Education
- GoToStCroix.com – Education
Medical
Beyond general medical services, our island is blessed with great pediatricians like the Pediatric Care Center and fantastic support services like Island Therapy Solutions, who can address a wide variety of needs from speech and occupational therapy to after school tutoring.
Activities
You’re likely not interested in St. Croix so your kids can stay indoors in the A/C and watch TV or play video games. Our weather lends itself to being outdoors and active year round! Outside of school sponsored activities, there is sailing, soccer, Pony Club, St. Croix Dolphins swim team, Caribbean Dance School, The Calico Cat Company theatre group, tennis lessons, golf and scuba diving.
There is plenty of family fun to be had on St. Croix. Tito and Sue’s Crab Races are always a hit and other venues offer activities like kid-friendly karaoke and art classes.
St. Croix also has many summer camp options to suit a variety of interests for kids — from bowling to bush skills. The Summer Camp VI Facebook page will give you a quick look at what was available last year and what is coming this summer.
Tamarind Parents Facebook Group is another great resource for moms and dads on St. Croix. It’s purpose is to connect families and serve as a place for support, help and information.
Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty associate and island mom, Bry Locher, shared these wise words:
One of parent’s biggest concerns is whether you child is going to settle in and make new friends. We have a really close community where people are willing to help and support each other. Many of us do not have family on island so our friends become our ‘island family’ and there is always someone that is a phone call away that can help with picking up kids from schools, setting up play dates or anything else you need. So many parents and kids here have relocated and remember what it’s like to be new and we’re all here to help answer questions and get you settled in.
She also made another observation about the lifestyle on St. Croix. “Since we don’t have a big mall with access to all the latest clothes or games, that becomes less of a concern for kids and they can just enjoy playing and being kids.” We think that is true for adults here too!
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