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Transition review warns of transportation funding gap, enrollment decline and high administrative costs at Department of Education
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Summary
A transition committee review of Puerto Rico’s Department of Education identified expiring federal funds, a near‑term $72 million transportation shortfall, falling enrollment projected to 2028, and high administrative spending; the committee requested documents and asked the secretary to advance actions before January.
S1 (Unidentified Speaker) told the transition committee that the Department of Education has relied heavily on non‑recurring federal funds — including ARPA and CARES era aid and Hurricane María reimbursements — and that many of those funds expire at year‑end. "Para enero se necesita buscar setenta y dos millones para poder entonces cubrir el contrato de transportación," S1 said, calling a near‑term financing gap "importantísimo."
The speaker warned that the department faces a sharp enrollment decline and cited a projection that student counts could fall to about 184,000 by 2028, creating pressure to analyze redistributing students and optimizing physical facilities. S1 described examples of districts with multiple school buildings serving only a few hundred students and urged planning that prioritizes students’ access to nearby schools.
S1 also said roughly 61 percent of the department’s budget "se va en gastos administrativos," and reported that only about 30 percent of students are passing the relevant assessments when all student groups are included, a point the governor‑elect has said she wants to address. The speaker added the department currently has a federal monitor that costs about $30 million a year and noted projects described as part of reconstruction work were only about 4 percent complete.
Committee members pressed for specific follow‑up. S4 asked whether the referenced transportation funding would be available and whether contracts and vehicles meet federal regulatory requirements; S1 said staff had been asked to verify compliance to reduce the risk of federal clawbacks. The committee requested documentation on reconstruction contracts, the $75 million contract cited during the briefing, and invoices submitted to FEMA so the new administration can pursue reimbursements rather than rely on local funds.
S6 asked about vocational education and special education workforce training; S1 said vocational programs are a priority for the incoming governor and will be taken up in transition planning. S2 suggested repurposing underused school properties, citing a prior sale of the Lucchetti school to St. John's and urging consideration of affordable housing or other public uses where appropriate.
The committee clarified that it does not have authority to close schools; its role is to collect information, compile a transition report, and present options to the incoming government, which would make any final decisions and could take months or years to implement. S1 asked the secretary to advance immediate tasks in the days before January to avoid delays caused by expiring federal funds.
The committee left a set of actions for the department to produce documentation and for transition staff to compile a report for the incoming government. The meeting concluded with closing remarks and thanks to participants.
