36th Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands 
 
#3022 Estate Golden Rock - Christiansted St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 00820 
 Office: (340) 712-2256 | senatorkurtvialet@legvi.org 
Facebook.com/ReadyforVialet | Instagram: @ReadyforVialet 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Honorable               
KURT A. VIALET 
Majority Leader 
 
Gloryvee Christian-Krieger 
Chief of Staff 
 
Samanta Prentice  
Legislative Researcher 
 
Janella John 
Communications Manager 
 
 
COMMITTEE CHAIR 
Education and Workforce 
Development 
 
COMMITTEE MEMBER 
Health, Hospitals and 
Human Services  
 
Disaster Recovery, 
Infrastructure and Planning 
 
Housing, Transportation, 
and Telecommunications 
 
Budget, Appropriations and 
Finance 
 
 
ALWAYS READY  
TO SERVE 
Committee on Education & Workforce Development 
Thursday, February 6, 2025 
10:00 AM 
Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall, St. Thomas, USVI 
 
Agenda  
The Committee will receive testimonies on the following: 
 
 
Invited Testifiers: 
 
I. Dionne Wells-Hedrington, Commissioner, Virgin Islands Department of Education 
• Status of Federal Funds (ARPA, Cares Act, Consolidated Grants) and Imprest 
Funds 
• Analysis of student test scores for the 2023-2024 academic year  
• Strategies used to address learning loss 
• Status of entrance and exit exams 
• Plans to address the loss of instructional time due to abbreviated school 
schedules caused by severe heat 
• Status of afterschool programs and plans for summer programs 
 
II. Craig Benjamin, Executive Director, Bureau of School Construction & Maintenance 
• Update on Arthur A. Richars School Rebuild  
• Status of the Claude O. Markoe Gymnasium 
• Status and timeline for completion of school kitchen equipment installation in 
the district of St. Croix 
• Status of electrical upgrades for territorial schools 
• Status of AC unit installations in schools affected by severe heat  
• Summer maintenance plan 
• Outline of process to report school-based maintenance issues (work order 
requests) 
 
 
We look forward to your attendance and valuable contributions to the hearing