Committee on Education and Workforce Development

The Committee on Education and Workforce Development has scheduled a meeting to receive

testimony on the following bills:

OPENING REMARKS/STATEMENTS 10:00 AM- 10:15 AM

BLOCK I:        10:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Bill No. 34-0086         An Act amending Title 17 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 10, section 111(a) relating to school health programs to provide mental health education and instruction.

Invited Testifiers:

Honorable Racquel Berry-Benjamin, Commissioner, Virgin Islands Department of Education

Dr. J. Zen Meservy, Psychiatrist, St. Thomas East End Medical Center

Lori Thompson, Ph. D., Psychologist, Insight Psychological Services, LLC

Bill No. 34-0079         An Act amending the Virgin Islands Code, Title 3, chapter 7, by designating the existing provisions as subchapter I and adding a subchapter II establishing the Bureau of School Construction and Maintenance within the Virgin Islands Department of Education; amending title 33, chapter 111, section 3092a, changing the Education Maintenance Fund to the School Construction and Maintenance Fund, and making an appropriation of $2,500,000 from the Virgin Islands Education Initiative Fund to the School Construction and Maintenance Fund and for other related purposes.

Invited Testifiers:

Karl Knight, Chief of Staff Office of the Governor

Honorable Racquel Berry-Benjamin, Commissioner, Virgin Islands Department of Education

Emmanuella Perez-Cassius, Chairperson Virgin Islands Board of Education

BREAK           12:15 PM-12:45 PM

BLOCK II:       12:45 PM-3:00 PM

The committee will receive testimony from the Virgin Islands Department of Education and the Virgin Islands Board of Education regarding the status of the State Educational Agency Plan for the American Rescue Plan Outlying Areas State Educational Agencies Fund, as it relates to 2022 in-person school reopening and the overall status of the 2022 in-school reopening to include policy as well as the status of the Dropout Prevention Plan.

Invited Testifiers:

Honorable Racquel Berry Benjamin, Commissioner, Virgin Islands Department of Education

Kyza Callwood, Chairman, Virgin Islands Board of Education