The Virgin Islands Department of Education asked the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on June 30 for a $179,316,999 general‑fund appropriation for fiscal year 2026, a 5% increase over the FY2025 approved total.

Commissioner Dionne Wells Hedrington summarized priorities the department said are essential to maintaining instruction and operations: salaries and benefits for roughly 1,954 full‑time equivalent positions, continued funding for food service and utilities, and the return of recurring costs previously supported by federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) awards.

Budget snapshot: personnel is the largest line — $108.28 million (about 60% of the total) to cover classified and unclassified salaries and a series of lump‑sum payments linked to collective bargaining; fringe benefits are budgeted at $54.85 million (about 30%). Supplies and data‑processing software were increased after ARPA funds expired, and utilities were budgeted at $7.5 million for FY2026.

Why it matters: the department told senators the funding shift is needed primarily because federal ARPA grants that supported school‑based positions and recurring operational costs have concluded. The department has transitioned some staff that were federally funded onto local payrolls to keep classroom operations intact, which drives up the local personnel and fringe lines.

Enrollment and staffing: Commissioner Wells Hedrington reported 10,312 students territory‑wide and said the department employs 2,034 active staff (1,869 classified and 165 exempt). The department is addressing teacher shortages through recruitment and a “grow‑your‑own” paraprofessional‑to‑teacher initiative in partnership with the University of the Virgin Islands and the Department of Labor; 20 paraprofessionals were slated to begin online teacher preparation courses in fall 2025.

Grants and capital: V.I. officials manage 22 federal grants totaling $115.5 million; the department expects roughly $29.4 million in federal funds for FY2026 and reported an active schedule of FEMA/ODR school reconstruction and modernization projects. Commissioner Wells Hedrington said several projects are in design or awarded under design‑build, including Arthur Richards and a new central high school, and noted the department is coordinating with Department of Public Works and federal partners.

School nutrition and facilities: the school food authorities reported monthly reimbursements in the millions; the department said it is partnering more with local farmers and expanding salad bars and school gardens. The commissioner also noted improvements in school infrastructure planning but said utility and maintenance funding remains a recurring pressure.

What senators asked for and what’s next: legislators pressed for grant actuals, vendor payment lists and details about which items shifted from federal ARPA funding to the general fund. Senators requested follow‑up on allotments, indirect cost recovery, and an itemized list of outstanding encumbrances and contracts. The department said it will provide detailed actuals and cooperate with OMB and Finance on drawdown mechanics for ARPA liquidation and for operational cash flow.

Quote: “Budgets are statements of priority,” Commissioner Wells Hedrington said in testimony. “Our children are asking us to show them that they really matter.”