75.3 F
Cruz Bay
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesKEEP CURRENT STUDENT SERVICE LEVEL, SENATORS SAY

KEEP CURRENT STUDENT SERVICE LEVEL, SENATORS SAY

Sept. 17, 2003 – The Senate Education and Youth Committee spent a substantial amount of time discussing whether high school students should be required to complete 220 hours of community service instead of the currently required 500. But it only briefly discussed whether the Board of Education should administer the federal funds the territory receives for educational purposes.
If a bill before the Senate is approved, the Board of Education will replace the Education Department as the agency that receives, distributes and monitors all federal funds for education that come into the territory.
Education Commissioner Noreen Michael testified in strong opposition to the proposal. "We do not believe that would be appropriate, nor would it accomplish the stated objective of more efficient or prudent management of federal funds," she told the committee.
"The government is currently in its first year of a three-year Compliance Agreement with the U.S. Department of Education," Michael said. As a result, the Education Department is well on its way to formulating strategies and protocols for efficient and effective management of federal funds, she said, and "shifting the management of federal funds from one entity to the next does not necessarily address concerns regarding prudent and efficient management of federal funds."
Testifying in favor of the bill, Harry Daniel, chair/president of the school board, took note of the compliance agreement but said it came about as a result of the improper administration of federal funds by the department.
The board "can effectively monitor the expenditure of federal funds" received by the department, Daniel said. "In fact, all over the U.S. this is one of the key functions of the boards of education."
He added: "These serious problems with the administration of federal funds must be appropriately addressed or the funds will be administered by some other entity — not the Department of Education or the V.I. Board of Education."
Daniel said he had been unable to meet with the other board members to discuss the matter due the short notice he received of the Senate committee hearing. He said he received the notice on Sept. 9. However, he expressed the belief that the board should monitor and regulate the federal education money, but not be responsible for receiving and disbursing it.
High school community service
Most senators at the hearing — committee members and non-members — said 500 hours of community service for high school students is not too much, and that the requirement should not be reduced to the 220 hours proposed.
With calculators in hand, lawmakers figured that a student could accomplish the 500 hours easily over a four-year period. The requirement would work out to an average of 125 hours a year, and about three and a half hours per week if done only during the academic year.
"It can be done," Sen. Shawn Michael Malone said. "It varies from child to child, and from family to family." Some obstacles that students might face include job requirements, study needs, and safety, he said.
"We have to be careful not to downplay the importance of community service," Michael said. Community service is important in that it helps students understand the importance of their civic responsibility, she said.
"Our people just don't want to be real," Sen. Almando Liburd, a non-committee member, said. "Education is not just about classroom work."
Liburd said community service teaches students about life and teaches them to give back to their community.
"They just don't want to do it," Keith Richards, Board of Education secretary, said, referring to students. He said he believes the initiative to reduce the required hours is student driven, rather than parent driven.
The Senate "should not have to legislate student involvement in their community," Sen. Louis Hill said. "It should be done by parents."
School board appeal authority
The committee also received testimony on the proposed removal of final review of school board decisions from the governor and its placement instead with Territorial Court.
Daniel told the legislators the current provision for review places the governor in a conflict of interest because of being asked to rule on actions of the board based on decisions by the Education commissioner. "The board cannot fully realize the role of the appellate authority if the board remains subordinate to the governor," he said, according to a release from the Legislature.
UVI board makeup
Senators were divided as to whether the University of the Virgin Islands Alumni Association and university staff should have seats on the UVI board of trustees.
Hill cautioned that members of boards need to be capable and accountable, or the results can be disastrous. He cited the V.I. Housing Authority as a case in point. The federal Housing and Urban Development Department, citing financial and other concerns, placed VIHA in receivership last month after the governor dissolved the permanent board and placed an interim board in its place in an effort to stave off a federal takeover.
Representatives of the alumni and staff told the committee they should have voice on the university's policymaking body. The board already includes a faculty representative and a student representative.
"Many UVI graduates do not feel that their concerns and overall views for the direction of the university are heard," Deanna Rogers, UVI Alumni Association president, said. "Placing an alum on the board will afford a focused voice."
There are 400 non-teaching staff positions at UVI, accounting for 75 percent of the workforce, Cheri Wheatley, university telecommunications manager, said. The staff at UVI has a "strong desire to have voting rights," she said and feels the need to have an impact on the growth of UVI.
The committee is expected to vote on the federal funding, community service and appeals issues on Thursday when it meets on St. Croix. It will defer a decision on whether UVI alumni and/or staff should be represented on the UVI board of trustees. UVI President LaVerne Ragster asked Sen. Ronald Russell, the committee chair, to give the board an opportunity to respond to the proposal before it makes a decision on that matter.
Committee members present were Sens. Roosevelt David, Hill, Norman Jn Baptiste, Malone and Russell. Sens. Usie Richards and Luther Renee were excused. Also present were two non-members, Sens. Carlton Dowe and Liburd.

Back Talk

Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name, and the city and state/country or island where you reside.

Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.