The Virgin Islands Public Schools system is quickly running out of funding to purchase school lunches for students and needs $4.6 million to continue operating for the remainder of the school year, reports the St. Thomas Source.
During a Committee on Education and Workforce Development hearing Wednesday, Superintendent of Schools Dionne Wells-Hedrington testified that the St. Croix district has depleted 61 percent of its budget, while the St. Thomas/St. John district has used more than 80 percent.
"By mid-February, they will have depleted the commodity on hand and will not have the necessary funds to purchase more food," Wells-Hedrington said.
Wells-Hedrington cited the current federal nutrition standards as the reason why the district is in a crisis, stating that it’s lost money from students’ declining participation since the mandates were implemented, according to the website.
Read the full story at the St. Thomas Source.