Governor Secures $71 Million in State Stabilization Funds from Federal Government
Posted by Jean Greaux on June 15, 2009 at 9:02 PM AST

Following face-to-face meetings with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Governor de Jongh said earlier this evening that the territory is eligible for almost $71 million in federal stimulus monies.

“This announcement is an additional $4 million more than originally anticipated and it is a testament to the work that the members of my Administration have done in Washington these past several months. The release of these funds will assist us in maintaining education services, keeping teachers in the classrooms and at the same time, preventing the cutting of valuable education programs."

 “This funding comes at a time when the Territory is grappling with a budget revenue shortfall that is somewhere in the neighborhood of almost $200 million dollars. The funding that will become available will go a long way towards assisting the Territory in bridging our current projected revenue shortfall.”

The Governor noted that the monies will also provide the government with resources to assist in making the necessary improvements that were identified during repeated discussions with officials of The White House, U.S. Departments of Education and Interior and with Vice-President Joe Biden.

de Jongh said the release of the State Stabilization funds to the Territory are being allocated on the same basis as the other States:

“The many suggestions we have put forward regarding the terms and conditions of these grants have enabled the federal government to tailor the program in a manner that best addresses the specific needs of the Virgin Islands and other insular territories and possession of the United States. I was proud to initiate these suggestions and I am pleased to have the federal agencies work with us to best meet the needs of our residents.” 

A condition of the federal stimulus monies requires the V.I. Government to meet certain goals and objectives including: enhancing the qualifications and effectiveness of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools; establishment of a data system in compliance with the federal America COMPETES Act; improve the quality of academic standards and assessments as well as implement enhanced standards and assessments; modernize, renovate, and repair public educational facilities that are used primarily for classroom instruction; strengthen technology infrastructure of public elementary and secondary schools, public institutions of higher education and government agencies and establishment or completion of the implementation of a credible financial management system. 

de Jongh, who met with Secretary Duncan this past weekend, said the Virgin Islands will receive the State Stabilization funds under two components: The Education Stabilization Fund and the Government Services Fund. The Department of Education will award 81.8 percent of the total monies under the Education Stabilization Fund and the remaining 18.2 percent under the Government Services Fund. 

During a Governors only meeting on earlier today, Secretary Duncan spoke of the need for the U.S. Department of Education to provide the rules and regulations for the Territories in a timely manner. Following the meeting, Governor de Jongh said:

“I had the opportunity to mention to Secretary Duncan about having more attention paid to the challenges confronting the V.I. Department of Education. Iview the awarding of these federal stimulus dollars for the Virgin Islands as an unprecedented opportunity for us as a government to undertake comprehensive educational and fiscal reforms that will result in better programs and improved educational outcomes for our children.