Title 17, Education
38 chapters · 384 sections in this title.
17 V.I.C. § 1 Kinds of schools
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(1) All schools in the Virgin Islands are classified as follows—(1) Public schools, which are those supported by Government funds. They shall be organized and administered by the Department of Education;(2) Private schools, which are those supported by private funds;(3) Parochial…
17 V.I.C. § 21 Powers and duties of Board
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(a) The Virgin Islands Board of Education has authority and jurisdiction to—(1) recommend the establishment of public schools; prescribe general regulations and orders; adopt curricula and courses of study; recommend laws and amendments; recommend appropriations required for the …
17 V.I.C. § 22 Visitation of schools
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The Virgin Islands Board of Education shall visit each school while in session at least once a year.
17 V.I.C. § 23 Hearings by Board; compulsory attendance of witnesses
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(a) The Virgin Islands Board of Education shall have the power, and it shall be the duty thereof, to hear complaints and appeals within 30 days of the date of the act complained of, to issue subpoenas, summon and examine witnesses regarding school matters, to compel their attenda…
17 V.I.C. § 24 School management accountability
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(a) The Board of Education shall:(1) in consultation with the Department of Education, conduct a thorough annual assessment and evaluation of all public school curricula and instruction, and school administration in the territory; (1) in consultation with the Department of Educat…
17 V.I.C. § 25 Protective hairstyles
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(a) The Virgin Islands Department of Education, Virgin Islands Board of Education, a school district, college, university or school administrator may not create a dress code or policy that prohibits protective hairstyles from being worn in the school during school hours or school…
17 V.I.C. § 41 Courses of study
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(a) The Virgin Islands Board of Education, upon the recommendation of the Commissioner of Education, shall prescribe the courses of study for all public schools which shall not be less than the minimum standards set by the acknowledged accrediting groups in the United States: pro…
17 V.I.C. § 41a Bilingual and English Language Development Program
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(a) There is established in the Department of Education the Division of Bilingual and English Language Development for Children whose primary language is not English. The Division shall be headed by a director who is qualified by education, training, and experience to take respon…
17 V.I.C. § 41b Character education
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(a) For the purposes of this section “Character Education” means a structured curriculum where the children of the Virgin Islands learn about character traits, including but not limited to, commitment, cooperation, courtesy, creativity, generosity, honesty, moderation, patience, …
17 V.I.C. § 41c Worker Preparation Educational Program
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(a) This section may be cited as “The Worker Preparation Educational Program Act”. (b) As used in this section(1) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the Department of Education.(2) “Cooperative education” means a structured method of instruction in work-related matters, inc…
17 V.I.C. § 41d Dual Credit program authorized; definition; eligibility; costs and fees; rules; evaluation
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(a) The Department of Education and the University of the Virgin Islands are authorized to establish a Dual Credit program. As used in this section, “Dual Credit Program” means a program that allows high school students to enroll in college-level courses offered by the University…
17 V.I.C. § 41e Proficiency examinations; purpose and use
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(a) The Commissioner of Education, in conjunction with the Virgin Islands Board of Education, shall require proficiency examinations to be administered annually at the 4th, 6th, 8th and 12th grade levels. Examinations administered under this section must be drafted and graded in …
17 V.I.C. § 41f Agriculture in the Classroom Program; basic agriculture education
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(a) (1) The Department of Education is authorized and directed to establish and maintain an integrated basic agriculture education program within the current curriculum administered by qualified educators and teachers, in every public school in the Virgin Islands. The Department …
17 V.I.C. § 41g Online learning
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(a) The Board of Education shall establish a distance learning policy consistent with the requirements of this section which considers distance learning and blended courses provided through the Virgin Islands Department of Education as qualifying courses for promotion and graduat…
17 V.I.C. § 41i Emergency Medical Services Program; basic EMS education
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(a) (1) The Department of Education shall establish and maintain an integrated basic Emergency Medical Services (EMS) education program within the curriculum administered by qualified instructors and made available to every public high school student in the Virgin Islands. The De…
17 V.I.C. § 42 Free school books; responsibility for return
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(a) The Department of Education shall supply, free of charge, all text books and any form of electronic books and digital resources to be used in the public schools, as deemed appropriate by the Virgin Islands Board of Education. (b) The Commissioner of Education may require rece…
17 V.I.C. § 43 Failure to submit registers, reports, etc
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If a principal or teacher fails to submit any attendance register, record, or report required by the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner may, with the approval of the Virgin Islands Board of Education, cause the salary payments of such principal or teacher to be withheld.
17 V.I.C. § 44 Care of school buildings, equipment, supplies, etc
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(a) Principals and principal-teachers are charged with the responsibility during school hours for the proper care of buildings, equipment, supplies, and all school properties under their supervision, and they shall make appropriate rules to govern the use of such properties by te…
17 V.I.C. § 45 Use of school buildings and properties
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(a) The Commissioner of Education may, upon written request, grant permission for use of school buildings and properties under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education for civic, social, recreational and other purposes; provided, that no school building, facility, or prope…
17 V.I.C. § 46 High school equivalency program
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(1) The Commissioner of Education is hereby empowered and directed to—(1) hold free tests annually for the purpose of determining the basic knowledge of the examinees in terms of the formal education required for graduation from high school in the fundamental fields of knowledge;…
17 V.I.C. § 47 Industrial-art training in St. John—Curriculum
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The Department of Education is authorized and directed to include in the curriculum of Cruz Bay and the Benjamin Franklin Public Schools on the Island of Saint John, the teaching of Industrial Arts, including carpentry, masonry, mechanics, sheet metal, electricity and leather cra…
17 V.I.C. § 48 —Priority in industrial-art training
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(a) Within the limitations of the annual budget of the Department of Education, the Department of Education shall give priority to the teaching of carpentry, masonry, mechanics, sheet metal, electricity and leather craft, over basketry and broom-making, in conformity with standar…
17 V.I.C. § 49 —Teachers and equipment for industrial-art training in St. John
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The Department of Education is authorized to employ all such necessary instructors or teachers and to purchase such supplies and equipment as may be necessary in connection with the teaching of Industrial Arts in the Schools specified in sections 47–51 of this title.
17 V.I.C. § 50 —Rules and regulations to effectuate sections 47–51
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The Commissioner of Education is authorized to issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary and appropriate to effectuate the purposes of sections 47–51 of this title.
17 V.I.C. § 51 —Availability of funds for carrying out sections 47–51
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Funds for the purpose of carrying out section 47–51 of this title shall be made available by appropriations of the Legislature in the annual budget for the Department of Education.
17 V.I.C. § 53 —Availability of funds for purposes of sections 52 and 53
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Funds for the purposes of sections 52 and 53 of this title shall be made available by appropriations of the Legislature in the Annual Budget for the Department of Education.
17 V.I.C. § 54 Musical bands within high schools—Instructors and equipment
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The Department of Education of the Virgin Islands is authorized and directed to establish musical bands within the public high schools in the Virgin Islands, including the employment of necessary or appropriate instructors, instruments, equipment, accessories or other facilities.
17 V.I.C. § 55 —Availability of funds for bands
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Funds for the establishment of bands in the public high schools pursuant to sections 54–56 of this title shall be made available by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands out of available revenues appropriated for the expenses of the Department of Education for any fiscal year.
17 V.I.C. § 56 —Rules and regulations to effectuate sections 54–56
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The Commissioner of Education shall be authorized to issue all rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the provisions of sections 54–56 of this title, necessary or appropriate for the effectuation of the purposes of said sections.
17 V.I.C. § 57 Alcohol Education Week—Designation
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The school week following the first Sunday in February of each year is hereby designated as Alcohol Education Week in the public schools of the Territory of the Virgin Islands.
17 V.I.C. § 58 —Instructions concerning use of alcoholic beverages and narcotics
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During this week, each school principal or other designated person shall instruct each class from the seventh grade upward for at least 30 minutes on 3 days concerning the risks and dangers involved in the use of alcoholic beverages and narcotics. The principal, or such other des…
17 V.I.C. § 59 —Duty of Commissioner of Education
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The Commissioner of Education shall each year call to the attention of each school principal Alcohol Education Week, and shall through the Division of Education Programs provide suitable printed materials and other aids for use in the observance of the week.
17 V.I.C. § 60 —Observance of alternate week
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Should a school find it impracticable for any reason to observe Alcohol Education Week at the time designated, the principal may ask permission of the Commissioner of Education to observe an alternate week.
17 V.I.C. § 60a Athletic fields and recreational facilities
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After September 1, 1971, no new public school shall be constructed unless in conjunction with the construction of such school there is included athletic and recreational facilities adequate for the development of comprehensive physical fitness, competitive sports and recreational…
17 V.I.C. § 60b Concussions; legislative findings, guidelines, procedure, training
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(a) The Legislature finds that:(1) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents who participate in sports and recreational activities.(2) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 3,800,000 sports-related an…
17 V.I.C. § 60c Site based management
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(a) The Commissioner of Education shall develop policies and guidelines for the implementation of site-based management and control of the acquisition process for all public high schools in the Virgin Islands which will allow individual public high schools maximum operational and…
17 V.I.C. § 60d Small-purchase authority
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(a) Notwithstanding title 31 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 23, the Department of Education may purchase or contract for all supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services, if the cost of the purchase or contract does not exceed $250,000. (b) [Deleted.] (c) Each principal …
17 V.I.C. § 61a School calendar
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(a) The school year must begin not later than the second week in August and end not later than the last Friday in May and must be divided into two semesters, semester one which ends not later than December 23rd and semester two, which ends not later than the last Friday in May. (…
17 V.I.C. § 62 Public school holidays
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(1) Holidays for pupils and teachers in the public schools and for school lunch workers in public, private, or denominational schools who are employed by the Department of Education and who actually work in such schools, shall be as follows:(1) Saturday and all legal holidays.(2)…
17 V.I.C. § 63 Holidays for schools other than public
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The schedule of holidays for schools other than public schools shall be arranged by the authorities in such schools; provided, that there shall be not more than ninety days' vacation in any one school year, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excepted.
17 V.I.C. § 64 Religious holidays; pupils absence excused
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(a) The Commissioner, with the approval of the Board of Education, shall prescribe rules relative to absences of pupils for religious holidays, including but not limited to a list of holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse a pupil of the faith for which a particular rel…
17 V.I.C. § 65 Summer school
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(a) The Commissioner of Education is authorized to establish “summer school” at any time after the last day of a school year and before the first day of the succeeding school year. Attendance at summer school shall be voluntary. The Commissioner shall determine the curricula and …
17 V.I.C. § 66 Disaster Response Plan
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(1) The Department of Education must submit a Disaster Response Plan by July 30, 2019, and by March 30th of every subsequent year to the appropriate committee of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. The plan must contain, but shall not be limited to, the following information:(…
17 V.I.C. § 71 Authority of the Commissioner of Education
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The Commissioner of Education is authorized to establish and supervise an Automobile Driver Education and Training Program in the public high schools of the Virgin Islands and to issue such rules and regulations as are necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter and to i…
17 V.I.C. § 72 Aims and purposes of automobile driver education and training
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The aims and purposes of automobile driver education shall be to develop a knowledge of this provision of the Motor Vehicle Code and other laws of the Virgin Islands relating to the operation of motor vehicles, a proper acceptance of personal responsibility in traffic, a true app…
17 V.I.C. § 73 Agreements for the purchase or lease of dual control vehicles
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The Commissioner of Education is authorized to purchase or lease through the Department of Property and Procurement, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 23 of Title 31 of the Virgin Islands Code, dual control vehicles and such other equipment as, in the opinion of the Co…
17 V.I.C. § 74 Liability insurance
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The Commissioner of Education is authorized to contract, through the Department of Property and Procurement, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 23 of Title 31 of the Virgin Islands Code, for insurance coverage on all vehicles to be used in the Automobile Driver Educatio…
17 V.I.C. § 75 Fees
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The Commissioner shall charge a fee of $50.00 per student enrolled in the Automobile Driver Education and Training Program. However, the fee shall be $100.00 if the student is an Adult Education student. The monies derived from such fees shall be deposited in the Automobile Drive…
17 V.I.C. § 76 Drunk Driving Education Program
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The Commissioner of Education is authorized and directed to establish an education program in the schools to educate children on the danger of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The program should be developed to reach all grade levels and to involve parents in the…
17 V.I.C. § 77 Automobile Driver Education and Training Fund
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(a) There is hereby created in the Treasury of the Virgin Islands a separate and distinct fund to be designated as the Automobile Driver Education and Training Fund (hereinafter referred to in this section as the “Fund”). The Commissioner of Finance is authorized and directed to …