The Virgin Islands Education Department told senators Tuesday its $3.68 billion FEMA-funded school reconstruction program is moving into construction as lawmakers questioned timelines, costs, and readiness for the school year.
The update came during an oversight hearing of the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee, where Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington and the department’s architect, Chaneel Callwood, outlined the status of the rebuilding effort.
They said the program includes 22 active reconstruction and modernization projects across the territory, while senators questioned construction schedules, long-term maintenance costs and readiness for the Aug. 10 start of the school year.
Wells-Hedrington testified that FEMA approved approximately $3.68 billion in school reconstruction funding in November 2023, calling it “one of the largest educational recovery investments ever awarded in the territory.” She said more than 45 school properties were evaluated to determine whether repair or replacement was the most prudent investment of federal funds before project funding was finalized.
Callwood told senators that FEMA’s grant was approved in 2023 with five years of cost escalation built into the cost estimates through 2028, and that the grant is capped and “not going to increase,” meaning any higher construction costs would have to be absorbed within the existing allocation, potentially by cutting work on some projects.
Wells-Hedrington said the department initially focused on emergency repairs and temporary modular classrooms after the 2017 hurricanes as part of an emergency recovery phase, before moving into planning and negotiations for long-term school replacement and modernization.
The commissioner said the department is managing 22 active capital projects across the territory. Callwood said four campuses are under construction, 12 are in design and the remaining projects have not yet been put out for bid.
Asked how many of the 22 projects had been completed and turned over for use, Wells-Hedrington said none have reached that stage. Officials said the timeline was shaped by the yearslong process of assessing damaged schools, determining which campuses would be repaired or replaced and finalizing project scopes with FEMA before major reconstruction could begin.
The new Arthur A. Richards PreK-8 campus on St. Croix is expected to become the first completed project when it opens Aug. 10, Wells-Hedrington said, calling it “the first newly constructed school campus territory-wide for the district of St. Croix in more than 30 years.”
Callwood said approximately $252 million had been spent on Arthur A. Richards as of the hearing, with about $12 million remaining to complete the project. Wells-Hedrington said the department expects maintenance costs at the new campus to be at least $5 per square foot annually, with Callwood estimating the cost could approach $1 million per year.
As the campus prepares to open, Wells-Hedrington said the district’s transition and facilities team meets weekly to discuss maintenance planning, operational readiness, building systems and staffing needs. She said student placements have been finalized, employee transfers completed and parents notified.
Callwood said the campus will include gated access, metal detectors and security cameras, but Wells-Hedrington acknowledged the department is “unable to sustain our previous contract” for private security and that additional funding would be needed to hire guards for the new school.
Senators also received an update on Charlotte Amalie High School, where Callwood said construction has begun. She told lawmakers the project’s drawings have reached the 100% design stage, are moving through the permitting process, and that the design‑build contractor has mobilized heavy equipment to begin grading where the demolition contractor left off last year.
Wells‑Hedrington testified that the first phase at Charlotte Amalie High will build two three‑story academic buildings which, together with the existing ninth‑grade center, will be able to house the current student body. Officials said the current gymnasium and the Ruth Thomas auditorium will remain in use until new replacement facilities are completed.
Lawmakers again focused on Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School, where air-conditioning and indoor air quality problems disrupted classes during the previous school year. Callwood testified that although the contractor had committed earlier this year to order replacement air-conditioning equipment, the units had not been ordered because of what she described as “legal interpretations of the contract.”
Callwood said she could not provide a delivery date because the units still had not been ordered, but estimated the equipment could arrive about two months after an order is placed. Wells-Hedrington said the department would continue relying on temporary cooling measures until the new units arrive.
Wells-Hedrington also updated senators on other major projects, including a new PreK-12 campus planned for Julius E. Sprauve School on St. John, reconstruction at St. Croix Central High School and modernization work at St. Croix Educational Complex.
Senators also raised concerns about whether local contractors are benefiting from the federally funded rebuilding effort. “These companies have $300 million contracts, you gotta utilize the local heavy equipment,” Sen. Kurt A. Vialet said, urging officials to ensure Virgin Islands businesses participate in the reconstruction work. Callwood said the department and the Office of Disaster Recovery have held outreach events connecting local businesses with design-build teams and agreed to work with the agency to provide lawmakers with data showing how much reconstruction work has gone to local companies.
As the territory prepares for the Aug. 10 start of the school year, Wells-Hedrington said the department must keep reconstruction projects moving while addressing immediate challenges such as reliable air-conditioning, technology needs and overall campus readiness. She told senators officials are working to prepare schools for students but acknowledged that some problems will have to be addressed as they arise once classes resume.
