Education Minister Sharie deCastro has indicated that the $79 million earmarked for her ministry in next year's budget will prove insufficient for all planned work, and she plans to request more money when the Standing Finance Committee meets to review allocations.
Appearing on the Virgin Islands Voice programme last week, deCastro explained that while the proposed sum offers a foundation, it does not cover the full scope of the ministry's ambitions. She told listeners: "It's a start. But what you can guarantee is that when I go into standing finance, I'm going for more."
Other government departments are also seeking funds from a limited pool, deCastro noted, and the budget process has already required trade-offs. She said: "Did I get everything I wanted in the budget? No. Sacrifices were made, you know, strings were pulled to get us closer to where we wanted to be, but we still aren't quite where we need to be."
The $79 million figure marks a small rise from the $77.4 million the ministry received in 2026. To accomplish its goals, deCastro said the ministry needs supplementary resources, particularly for school building work, classroom materials and professional development for teachers.
Curriculum overhaul ranks as a top concern. The territory has not carried out a full curriculum review since 2007. Work began in 2026 with a target completion date of 2028, and focus group discussions are already underway.
The ministry is also advancing school renovation projects, expanding learning materials, building teacher capacity and modernising classroom technology. The education system has already upgraded its student records platform and integrated artificial intelligence tools to help with lesson design and test administration.
DeCastro called on the public to voice support for higher education funding, saying that community pressure could shape how officials allocate money during the budget process.
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