Virgin Islands government and National Park Service finalize St. John land exchange for Julius Sprauve school

The Virgin Islands government and the National Park Service finalized a land exchange agreement for St. John that cleared the way for construction of the Julius Sprauve PreK-12 School, Government House said on February 5, 2024.

The agreement exchanged Whistling Cay, an uninhabited cay off St. John, for the Estate Catherineberg property, which Government House described as a centrally located parcel with historical and cultural significance.

Government House said the National Park Service would continue to enforce existing wildlife protection and local access laws at Whistling Cay.

Government House said the land exchange effort began in April 2020, when Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., working with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, established the St. John School Land Exchange Team.

Government House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency had committed more than $133 million for construction of the Julius Sprauve PreK-12 School. The release said the facility was intended to serve as a school, storm shelter and community space on St. John.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/virgin-islands-government-national-park-service-finalize-land-exchange-agreement-for-julius-sprauve-prek-12-school-on-st-john/