School Construction and Maintenance Bureau Updates Senate on Mold, Repairs

Leadership from the new School Construction and Maintenance Bureau provided lawmakers on the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee with an operations update Wednesday.

The bureau was established in 2023 through the enactment of Act 8717, which shifted school maintenance responsibilities, funding and personnel from the Virgin Islands Education Department to a dedicated entity under the Office of the Governor. Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. tapped Craig Benjamin, a St. Thomas native with stateside experience in school construction, to head the bureau last July. Territory schools have continued to grapple with a lack of air-conditioning and mold, and in September, a falling ceiling fan seriously injured a St. Croix Educational Complex student, leading to student protests and community concern.

On Wednesday, Benjamin told lawmakers that the bureau is still navigating the transition of resources and staff from the Education Department. Addressing recent complaints of mold at the John H. Woodson Junior High School on St. Croix, Benjamin said the bureau immediately brought in its mold remediation contractor to deep clean the affected classrooms, and mold testing has been scheduled for Feb. 14-16.