Good to know
Good to Know
- Antilles School is the most established private, secular, college-prep option in Charlotte Amalie and the one most commonly used by expat/professional families; it runs an American curriculum with AP courses rather than IB.
- Virgin Islands Montessori School and International Academy is the only school on St. Thomas offering IB programming (PYP/MYP), which may matter for nomad families planning to re-enter an international school system elsewhere later.
- The faith-affiliated parish schools (All Saints Cathedral, Sts. Peter and Paul) are notably cheaper than Antilles or VIMSIA but include religious instruction as part of the standard curriculum.
- Tuition at all of these schools should be confirmed directly with the admissions office for the current school year — figures fluctuate and many schools also charge separate registration, technology, and uniform fees not included in base tuition.
- As USVI is a US territory, both public and private schools generally follow a US-style academic calendar and grading system, which eases transitions for American families relocating from the mainland.
- There isn't a Singapore- or Dubai-style 'international school' scene here — Antilles School is the closest thing, and it's a small, single-campus college-prep school, not a large multi-curriculum international campus.
- Because private-school seats are limited on a small island, apply and start communicating with the admissions office well before your planned move — don't assume a spot will be open just because you're arriving mid-year.
- The public VIDE system enrolls transfer/off-island/homeschool students year-round, which can be a useful fallback if a private-school seat isn't available right when you land.
- If you plan to homeschool, file your Notice of Intent within 10 days of starting — but also double-check current practice with the Department of Education directly, since there's an unresolved dispute over which set of homeschool regulations (1998 vs. 2016) is actually being enforced.
- The USVI uses the US dollar, so there's no currency conversion to worry about for any school fees.
Schools And Curricula
Antilles School
- Type
- Private, non-denominational, college-preparatory
- Location
- Frenchman's Bay area, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
- Curriculum
- American college-preparatory curriculum (PreK–12); Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered at high school level. Not an IB school.
- Grades Served
- PreK3 - Grade 12
- Approx Annual Tuition
- $24,000
- Tuition Note
- Tuition varies significantly by grade level (early childhood tiers are lower than upper school); figure is a rough mid-range estimate and should be confirmed directly with the school for the current year.
Virgin Islands Montessori School and International Academy (VIMSIA)
- Type
- Private, non-profit
- Location
- St. Thomas (Charlotte Amalie area)
- Curriculum
- Montessori method in early years, transitioning to International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) in upper grades — the only IB-affiliated school option on the island.
- Grades Served
- Early childhood through middle school
- Approx Annual Tuition
- $15,000
- Tuition Note
- Approximate; Montessori-tier tuition for younger children is typically lower than the IB middle-years tier.
All Saints Cathedral School
- Type
- Private, Episcopal-affiliated
- Location
- Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
- Curriculum
- American curriculum with religious (Episcopal) instruction component
- Grades Served
- PreK - Grade 8
- Approx Annual Tuition
- $9,000
- Tuition Note
- Approximate; parish-school tuition is generally lower than secular private schools like Antilles.
Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School
- Type
- Private, Roman Catholic parish school
- Location
- Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
- Curriculum
- American curriculum with Catholic religious instruction
- Grades Served
- PreK - Grade 8
- Approx Annual Tuition
- $7,000
- Tuition Note
- Approximate; parish tuition is often discounted for registered parish families versus non-parishioners.
Wesleyan Academy
- Type
- Private, Christian (Wesleyan-affiliated)
- Location
- St. Thomas
- Curriculum
- American curriculum with Christian religious instruction
- Grades Served
- K - 12 (varies by campus/year)
- Approx Annual Tuition
- $8,000
- Tuition Note
- Approximate figure; smaller faith-based schools on the island tend to charge less than Antilles or VIMSIA.
Enrollment And Homeschooling
Homeschooling
- Legality
- Homeschooling is legal in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Compulsory attendance runs from around a child's fifth birthday to around their sixteenth birthday, or a parent may choose to educate the child at home instead.
- Local Community
- A homeschool advocacy body referred to as the 'U.S. Virgin Islands Homeschoolers' organization has actively engaged with the territorial Board of Education over these regulations, indicating an organized local homeschooling community rather than just individual families acting alone. Long-running local parent forums also reference an informal St. Thomas homeschoolers' email/support group used by island families to trade curriculum and logistics advice.
- Core Requirement
- Within 10 days of starting home instruction, a parent must file a 'Notice of Intent: Instruction of Student at Home' with the Commissioner of Education; this notice is valid for up to one year and must be refiled annually.
- Qualifications And Oversight
- Homeschool parents are not required to hold any specific teaching qualification themselves, but if they hire a tutor, that tutor's qualifications and proposed courses of study must be approved by the Commissioner of Education. The Department of Education can require up to two portfolio reviews per year, though the law does not specify exactly what the portfolio must contain.
- Important Caveat For Nomad Families
- There is genuine, documented legal ambiguity here: a homeschool advocacy organization argues that separate 2016 Board of Education measures (which would require prior official approval to homeschool, a formal withdrawal process, and other tougher conditions) were never validly adopted, and that the older, lighter-touch 1998 regulations described above are the ones actually in force — while the Board of Education disagrees. In practice this means the paperwork a given official asks for can vary, so it's worth confirming current expectations directly with the Department of Education's Office of Curriculum and Instruction before finalizing plans.
International Bilingual Enrollment
- Reality Check
- Charlotte Amalie / St. Thomas does not have an IB-curriculum or true dual-language 'international school' sector like a major hub city. The realistic option for an English-speaking nomad family is the island's small independent/private school system, which does enroll internationally mobile families alongside locals.
- Main Option In Town Area
- Antilles School (Pre-K–Grade 12, Frenchman's Bay, near the town/Frenchtown area) is the island's leading independent college-prep school and explicitly draws on internationally mobile families working in tourism, finance, and government in the USVI, not just local residents.
- Public School Alternative
- By contrast, the public Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE) system allows enrollment all year round for students transferring from a nonpublic school, from off-island, or from homeschooling, and requires proof of address, a parent/guardian photo ID, and (context-dependent) documents like a Social Security card or guardianship paperwork — a much less competitive path than the private schools, but it is the standard public-school track rather than an 'international' program.
- Timing And Waitlist Realities
- Because these are small, single-campus private schools on a small island, seats — especially in kindergarten and other 'entry grade' years — are limited and can fill before the school year starts. Families relocating from abroad should treat this as a real waitlist risk: reach out to the admissions office as early as possible (ideally the fall/winter before the school year you want, ~6–9 months ahead) rather than assuming a seat will be available on arrival. For a genuine mid-year international move, contacting the school directly and asking about current space availability is more reliable than relying on a published deadline, since small schools often manage vacancies informally.
- Other Private Options Further Out
- A handful of other private/parochial schools (Montessori, Episcopal, Catholic, Moravian, Baptist, Church of God-affiliated) exist elsewhere on St. Thomas, but most are a drive from downtown Charlotte Amalie rather than in the immediate center.
Typical Application Steps
- Submit an initial inquiry/contact form to the admissions office (this is the formal first step at Antilles School)
- Schedule a campus tour and, for most grades, a parent/student interview
- Submit a completed application form plus application fee
- Provide prior school records/transcripts or report cards, and a teacher recommendation or evaluation form
- Provide birth certificate, immunization/medical records, and (for transfers) a withdrawal or transfer form from the previous school
- Some grade levels may involve an academic placement assessment, especially for a student arriving mid-year from a different curriculum
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.