I would do a PMV (pre move visit) first!
School for your 4 yr old there are 2 great choices! If your child is in kindergarden, Antilles or Montessori School. Antilles is very close to Frenchmans Reel. Good neighborhoods in that area is Estate Bakeroe and Frenchmans Bay. Will be rather hard to find people who will allow 2 dogs!

Shopping is easy, we have K-Mart, Costuless, Office Max, Pay Less shoes and a few others.

I came to St Thomas with 3 kids when there were no computers or msg boards to look for help! I found it hard at times but easier also.
I didn't put to much time fretting about the things that ppl do now. I just went for it!

Good Luck!!!!

NKM-
Yeah, the PMV is imperative...you may find that paying for school for your child is more than you can budget (no idea what Marriott is going to pay you, but $1,000/mo for school, times 12 months...twelve grand is a big hunk out of any salary)...and figure that you may need a 2 bedroom place near Frenchman's...might be lucky to find one under $1,500, check the Island Trader to get an idea...oh, you have 2 dogs, too? Might need to bump up your housing allowance...figure fifteen minimum...so, you are looking at $2,500/mo out of pocket just for a place to stay and someone to watch your kid...this doesn't take into account any WAPA bill, or cable, or internet, or phone, but it gives you an idea. Now you need to eat, feed the kid and dogs and maybe spend some money on entertainment...I would guess that you need to net at least $3,500/mo (NET, not gross) to live as you are accustomed to living...post on the Relocation Board and we can give you lots of info over there...and read the stories...really gives you a good idea...

Marty
Thanks for the info. I did post on that board. I was figuring about what you said. Waiting on hearing what my cost of living allowance will be. HMMMM.....
With all that said, I am now worried about the bugs. Not just bugs but it seems they are scary beasts. We have bugs here that are kinda gross and a few dangerous but now like what I keep reading about.
The centipededs, scorpions, etc................Now I have know issues with the Iguana's. But I worry about my son and dogs running around with those kind of things.
So give me a list of pro's???

Nicki

Peggy

How long have you been there? How old were your kids when you went? Why did you go?

I did see the Montessori school. How come your schooling is so crazy expensive there?
Kids ever bitten by anything?

And the last question-does everyone hate dogs there or something?????

Nicki

No, dogs are not hated, in fact, STT has a fabulous Humane Society for the well being of pets but dogs BARK. That seems to be the problem. I know that our condo community (Mahogany Run) will allow cats but no dogs much to my dismay. I have a wonderful and quiet ShihTzu that I would love to bring down for a few months while I plan to be there. It is indeed, annoying to me that I have to wake up every single morning and not only listen to roosters but the continued barking of a dog in a private home down the hill from my condo. When one isn't at home, you never know if your dog is barking or not. Lonely dogs can bark all day long. Even m own dog may be a barker for all I know when I am not at home. There are a lot of critters for dogs to get crazy over...iguanas for one. I could rent out my condo much easier if I was allowed to take dogs.....but then, would I want to?

I wouldn't put too much thought into the bugs and lizards and such...I mean, sure, you'll see 'em around, but it's nothing to be concerned about, just cautious of...and your dogs won't have any problems, either...they seem to be smarter than us humans when it comes to figuring out which ones to leave alone! Haha!

I'm with you Marty! 26 yrs and running and no bug will chase me away! Really, we don't see them that much! Ok, maybe some cockaroaches a bit more often! lol!
The Iggie's and lizards are way cool!

And the cockroaches taste just like chicken! (Ba-dum-Bump-tsshh! Yes, that's the sound of a drum set! Haha!)

You're too funny Marty! Love reading your posts.

Funny? Funny how? You just said I'm funny, so how'm I funny? What's so %#@!ing funny about me?? Like, I'm a clown to you? I make you laugh? Just what the %#@! is so Goddam funny about me?!?!? (from Joe Pesci in Goodfellas)

Marty,

You add humor to these posts, thanks. It makes reading them much more entertaining. Gotta love Goodfellas! Have you heard anything from Duke about Waterguys secret key lime pie recipe?

Hey Marty,
We'll be over for dinner to try that Chicken tasting Cock-a-Roach!!!! 🙂
I knew ratllesnake tasted like chiken, but Mahogany Birds??????? YUM!

You said it. You are a clown.

NKM, Do not put your child in the public school system. If you think any of the poor-performing school districts on the mainland are bad, multiply that 1000-fold. Not to mention the lack of essential services for children.

Save up the money if you haven't already done so, and put your child in private school.

Marty,

You are underestimating the tuition to Antilles by about 50 percent.

There are some scholarships available, but nothing that will cover 100 percent tuition. Antilles is no different in financial aid packages than any of the stateside schools.

Best if Nikki switches careers to education, and tries to get a local at one of the private schools. Most - but not all - of her child's tuition will be covered.

Not sure if you will read this but I thought I would try.
I live in South Carolina now (for the past year) but I am from Michigan myself.
Have been offered a pretty good job by Marriott. (Frenchman's)
I have never been to St. Thomas and not sure what to do. There is not a lot you can find out on-line unless you are just vacationing.
I have 2 dogs and a 4yr old child.
Want to be VERY safe of course having him.
Want to live as close to work as possible.
Need a good school for him.
So, any tips. What kind of info do you have.
If I move there, what would I be gaining or possibly giving up?

Thanks for any help.

As your email addie doesn't work, this is what I sent you:

Hi there,

You may have seen my post on the VI message board about the schools. If you didn't - do **not** enroll your child in **any** of the VI public schools. Even the private pre-schools and day-cares (you said your little one is four-years old) are iffy.

Antilles School and other privates are as costly as any other mainland private school - one of the posters underestimated the tuition by about 50 percent. But the VI public schools are dangerous; nothing gets learned; the teachers get paid next to nothing (hence, no competition for the positions, and an under-educated faculty); there is no school nurse at most of the schools. We returned home, stateside, when our own little one was near-school-age.

I am now working an education master's degree, in an effort to get hired by one of the private schools in the USVI. It's lovely there, on those islands. But not worth the risk to your child's well-being.

Good luck with your decision.

reindeergirl: NKM posted back in April. As you know, lots of people plan to move, but few arrive. On the other hand ocs bumped this up. I still think the entire conversation should be on RELO, not here... (And p.s. there are very good schools that are not Antilles.)

reindeergirl: Not all the public schools are as bad as you portray them. As EE says, this thread should of course be on the relocation forum - where there is also first-hand information about the public school system in some of the archived moving stories.

Where did that come from-have you spent any time in the public schools? which ones..because there are some excellent public schools in the VI

I am a teacher in the vi schools-elementary-middle school Many of us have just returned from the "model schools conference" this summer with Bill Daggert, Harry Wong and others. It was awesome. We continue to also have professional development workshops throughout the year always updating ourselves.

Yes the teachers get paid little compared to other jobs, but all of us enjoy our career and wouldn't want to do anything else. We are all very dedicated to our students and their learning.

Our technology is up to date, I teach everyday with a Promethean board hooked up to my laptop. I rarely ever use the black board
We can visit all kinds of educational sites right through this board and the students and I can write (to save) on the board.

Our school has never been dangerous but we do have a monitor. The students respect her and we have very few behavior problems. No different I"m sure than the States..

and we have a school nurse.

We have a very professional staff-so lets hear it for the VI teachers who are often underpaid , over-worked and very, very dedicated to their students!