(a) The Virgin Islands Board of Education, referred to as the “Board” in the remainder of this section is established as an independent agency.
(b) The Board of Education shall consist of nine elected members. Four (4) shall be elected by the qualified electors of the district of St. Croix. Four (4) shall be elected by the qualified electors of St. Thomas-St. John. One member shall be elected at large by the qualified electors of the Virgin Islands from the Virgin Islands as a whole, provided that such member shall be a person who is a bona fide resident of St. John.
(c) The term of office for each member shall be four (4) years beginning on the first Monday of January following the election. Members must reside in the district where they are elected, therefore, a vacancy shall occur whenever a member moves out of his district. The terms of office shall be staggered such that (i) at the 2012 general election, the two highest vote-getters from each district will serve a term of six (6) years for that election period only, and the remaining offices shall serve a term of four years. In all subsequent elections, only those positions scheduled to expire shall be open for election for a four year term.
(d) No person is eligible to be a member of the Board unless he meets the same eligibility qualifications for a member of the Legislature, as prescribed in section 6(b) of the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, except that the final sentence of said section 6(b) does not apply.
(e) The members of the Board shall elect a Chairman and Vice-Chairman from among its number at the first meeting after each election. A Chairman or a Vice-Chairman may be replaced by the members of the Board.
(f) Each member of the Board of Education shall receive the sum of $50 for each day or part thereof spent in the performance of his official duties. In addition thereto, each member shall be reimbursed for necessary travel and other expenses actually incurred in the discharge of his duties as a member of the Board of Education.
(g) The Governor of the Virgin Islands shall fill any vacancy in the office of a member of the Board of Education subject to the approval of the Legislature, except that the person appointed to such vacancy shall be a resident of the same island as the member whose office is vacant. The person appointed shall serve for the remainder of the term.
(h) The quorum of the Board shall be a majority of its members. No official action may be taken by the Board unless at a regular meeting, or a meeting called by the Chairman or by the members of the Board at which a quorum is present by affirmative vote of a majority of its members present.