The U.S. Department of Education has again classified both federally funded Virgin Islands special-education systems as 'Needs Assistance' for 2026. The determinations cover the Department of Education's IDEA Part B program for children and young adults ages 3 through 21 and the Department of Health's Part C program for infants and toddlers.
The school-age program received an overall accountability score of 80 percent, but longstanding conditions on its three most recent IDEA grant awards kept it from a 'Meets Requirements' determination. Federal reviewers also flagged contradictory compliance reporting and missing public information about the territory's supervision procedures.
The infants-and-toddlers program scored 65.63 percent overall. Reviewers found that 69 of 115 measured toddlers had timely transition steps and services in place before age 3, well below the 100 percent target, and identified additional concerns with data reliability and public reporting.
The category is less severe than 'Needs Intervention' or 'Needs Substantial Intervention,' but federal law requires action when a jurisdiction remains in 'Needs Assistance' for two or more consecutive years. Both territorial programs must identify technical assistance and report by February 1, 2027 on the support received and resulting actions.
Education and Health should publish the federal determination letters, corrective-action milestones, staffing and evaluation backlogs, and monthly progress data in one accessible public dashboard.
Source published September 16, 2026. Read the original reporting or release for the complete record.
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