Career and Technical Education board members were pleased to learn that the annual awarding of scholarships, placed on hold after central government failed to disburse the requisite funds, could now proceed.
In May, the board learned that monies expected from the Department of Finance to fund the scholarships had not arrived. A lack of clear communication led to expressions of frustration among board members. “They took the scholarship away from us and want us to use our regular funding to give out scholarships, which is not the deal,” board member Michael François said at the time. “Just tell us you don’t have the scholarship money.”
Two months later, the funds had yet to materialize. With application deadlines already past and no funding in sight, scholarship hopefuls were advised to seek financial support elsewhere.
On Tuesday, Executive Director Anton Doos shared some welcome news. “We have received the $55,000 through finance,” he said. “We now are in the process of reviewing the applicants and post-haste writing or issuing scholarships for the deserving students.”
Board chair Joann Murphy, who noted that Mr. Doos will be departing his post in the weeks to come, was pleased that he will be able to end his tenure on this positive note. Mr. Doos also indicated that he will be trying to “pre-pay as many bills as you possibly can,” so that invoices don’t begin to pile up in the lacuna between the winding down of this fiscal year and the beginning of the next. “I hope that by the time I leave office in September or whenever NOPA’s are approved, that the next ED will have a clean slate and start fresh,” he said.
CTE will also be holding townhall meetings in September, one on St. Thomas and the other on St. Croix, to discuss the establishment of the Virgin Islands Technical College. The public is invited to bring questions and comments about the process on September 9 at the Wheatley Skills Center starting at 6 pm. On September 12, the meeting will take place at the St. Croix Educational Complex auditorium, also from 6 pm.
A flyer with more information will be distributed shortly, board members promised.
British Caribbean News
