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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Top Tech Program Languishes for Want of Instructor

Sen. Sammuel SanesAn award-winning St. Croix diesel mechanics program, shut down in 2006 when its teacher was promoted to management, remains defunct five years later for lack of a teacher, V.I. Career and Technical Education Board Chairman Daniel McIntosh said Friday.

"It was the fifth best program in the country," McIntosh said during Finance Committee budget hearings in Frederiksted. "We lost that program because the teacher was promoted to assistant principal" at another school, he said.

"Are you saying because of the removal of one person, the program went downhill?" Sen. Sammuel Sanes asked.

"It died," McIntosh replied.

"Please tell me they are at least looking to replace this individual," Sanes said.

"I have had discussions with (St. Croix Educational Complex Principal) Willard John about it and one of the problems they are having is finding an individual to work at the pay rate that is offered," McIntosh said.

Students in this vocational diesel mechanics program learned the fundamentals of the trade, and at the same time wrote essays and incorporated science lab work into their curriculum. Its students regularly went on to successful careers with the likes of military contractors, International Harvester, the larger local companies like Hovensa and St. Croix Renaissance, and opened up their own businesses, its teacher, Joseph Schrader, said in 2006. Others went on for more advanced training at what was then Daimler Chrysler, at the Universal Technical Institute’s automotive school in Illinois and other places, Schrader said at the time.

Several times the program has been a winner or runner-up for an Award of Excellence from the Automotive Industry Planning Council, along with a number of other industry commendations. And in 2005, a biodiesel project won first prize in the territorial science fair, received recognition at the agricultural fair and won an Environmental Quality Award from the EPA.

The CTEC Board administers vocational education programs in coordination with the V.I. Education Department. It has nine volunteer members. McIntosh was before the committee to discuss the CTEC Board’s 2012 budget recommendation of $700,000. This is $100,000 or 7 percent more than the fiscal 2011 appropriation.

Out of that, $150,000 will support CTEC’s Craft Training Academy, a program which has produced 52 graduates to date, from which Hovensa selected 31 to give full scholarships for two-year associates degree programs at Texas State Technical College. Another $55,000 will go for student organization activities; $50,000 to continue upgrading training aids and $50,000 for curriculum review and revision.

Also Friday, Victor Browne, chairman of the Law Enforcement Planning Commission, discussed the Office of Management and Budget’s 2012 budget recommendation for LEPC of $607,000, roughly 11 percent less than fiscal 2011. Of this, about 71 percent, or $432,000 is earmarked for salaries, wages and benefits for seven employees. This figure reflects the recent eight percent pay cut for government employees. The next largest expense is rent, at $74,000, then utilities at $59,000. The remaining $43,000 covers daily operations.

Federal grants pay the salaries of four more employees, for another $283,000 in wages, salaries, benefits and government contributions for Social Security and Medicare. After this year’s eight percent cut, that wis now $262,000.

LEPC serves as the state administering agency for federal grant purposes and oversees a string of federal grants devoted to juvenile justice, substance abuse, violence against women, and similar subjects.

The Crucian Christmas Festival Organization, the volunteer group that puts together a month of concerts, contests, expositions and parades every year, requested $300,000 for the upcoming year in budget hearings Friday.

The governor’s recommended budget for 2012 is $175,000 from the government’s General Fund, unchanged from last year. An appropriation of $275,000 has also been recommended from the Tourism Advertising Revolving Fund for a total budget recommendation from the governor of $450,000 — also unchanged from the prior year’s total.

No votes were taken during the budget oversight hearing. Committee members present were: Sens. Carlton "Ital" Dowe (chairman), Louis Hill, Sammuel Sanes and Nereida "Nellie" Rivera- O’Reilly. Non-member, Sen. Usie Richards was also present. Absent were Sens. Janette Millin-Young, Shawn-Michael Malone and Celestino White Sr.

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