(a) The Department shall have authority and jurisdiction to exercise general control over the enforcement of the laws relating to education, and shall—
(1) promote the cause of education, and achieve a high level of general education throughout the Virgin Islands;
(2) integrate into the total school curricula of the territorial school system a comprehensive career and technical education program including, but not limited to, technical skills necessary for employment in United States Virgin Islands crafts, business and industry;
(3) except as otherwise may be provided by law, administer and operate all publicly supported educational facilities and programs, including specialized instruction and apprenticeship training;
(4) administer and operate all publicly supported educational facilities;
(5) prior to expenditure, consult with the Board of Education regarding federal funds and report to the Board on all federal monies expended by the Department;
(6) administer and operate a single school system, including, subject to the approval of the Governor, the certification, selection and appointment of Department personnel, except Department professionals, and the activities directly related thereto;
(7) exercise such other powers, and perform such other duties and functions, as may be prescribed by law;
(8) cooperation and participation in the operations and functions of the Peace Corps and other Federal agencies and instrumentalities by providing the use of its buildings, cafeterias, vehicles, and necessary personnel; Provided, however, That wherever any such service or facilities are made available for a monetary consideration the agreement for the same shall be in writing and shall be approved by the Governor;
(9) establish and collect reasonable fees for the use of public school transportation, and for the private use of public school facilities including, but not limited to, auditoriums, classrooms, gymnasiums, athletic fields, recreational facilities, and all other school property. Fees collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited in the General Fund of the Treasury of the Virgin Islands;
(10) solicit advice, conduct surveys and establish a liaison with private industry to insure the relevancy of the educational curriculum to the business world;
(11) integrate United States Virgin Islands art, culture and history into the educational curriculum;
(12) administer, operate and promote all Department libraries in accordance with standards adopted by the American Library Association, as most recently revised;
(13) establish a system for the issuance of identification cards for all public and private school students. The identification card shall have a photograph of the student and show the school the student is attending, the student's birthdate, the residential custodian, residence address, phone number if appropriate, and parents' or legal guardians' name if different from the residential custodian;
(14) produce minor maintenance and repairs of up to $50,000 per project, and goods, services, materials, supplies and equipment for the entire Department of Education; and
(15) be the sole department responsible for hiring the employees of the Department of Education, leaving the role of the Division of Personnel to audit the Department of Education.
(b) The Department shall prepare the budget for the Department, for submission to the Commissioner of Finance.
(c)
(1) The Commissioner of the Department of Education is authorized to establish an account or system of accounts and records within the Department and to establish an appropriate bank account for the deposit of allotted funds for the purchase of materials and supplies. Notwithstanding any other law, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall allocate and the Commissioner of Finance shall disburse all appropriated funds to the Department by October 15th of each fiscal year to be deposited into the bank account and used for the purposes stated herein. The Commissioner of the Department of Education shall maintain a record of all monies deposited into and disbursed from the bank account, and submit an annual report of the account's activity to the Department of Finance and to the Legislature by November 30th of each year.
(2) The Commissioner of the Department of Education shall be the sole authority empowered to expend monies allocated to the Department under this subsection. By the 30th day of the month following the end of each quarter, or upon expenditure of all funds received for the fiscal year, the Commissioner of Education shall provide to the Commissioner of the Department of Finance a report detailing the amount, nature and justification for each item of expenditure made. The report shall be accompanied by receipts and any other documentation required by the Department of Finance. An annual report shall also be submitted to the Department of Finance and the Legislature.
(d) [Repealed.]