Press Releases

PLASKETT ANNOUNCES $75 MILLION IN FUNDING TO REBUILD JANE TUITT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett released the following statement announcing a $75 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the V.I. Department of Education (VIDE) in St Thomas to rebuild the Jane Tuitt Elementary School:

“I am very pleased to announce that FEMA has awarded a grant totaling $75,565,781.07 in federal funding to the V.I. Department of Education (VIDE) - Jane Tuitt Elementary School replacement as a result of the damages done by Hurricane Maria. This funding is authorized under Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Act. I fought to make sure that for the first time FEMA would utilize the prudent replacement standard for Virgin Islands hurricane recovery projects, meaning that this school will be built back not as it was before the storm but in a resilient manner with current industry standards. The Prudent Replacement Standard (from the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018) includes a specific provision requiring FEMA to use “prudence” instead of its standard 50% Rule to approve replacement of badly damaged facilities in the BBA critical services sectors.

“Despite issuing a BBA Implementation Policy on September 11, 2020, which includes the following Prudent Replacement guidance, FEMA has only completed a Prudent Replacement Evaluation of 1 (one) facility – Arthur A. Richards Junior High School (AAJHS) – in the past 15-months and zero (0) in the last eight months since the approval of AAJHS in April of 2020. As of mid-December 2020, FEMA has a backlog of more than 60 additional Prudent Replacements under consideration, including schools, hospitals and homes for the aged.

“I am pleased that the appropriated funds will go toward the rebuilding of these institutions, especially our schools, but there is still more work to be done. We are proud of the work of the Office of Disaster Recovery and the V.I. Department of Education for obtaining the funding and look forward to working with them to ensure the funds are fully utilized.”

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