SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — The U.S. Department of Education will release nearly $1 billion in federal funds to help Puerto Rico respond to both the pandemic and a series of natural disasters in the Biden administration’s latest move to reset relations with the island, officials said Monday.
The U.S. territory will immediately be able to access $912 million in education funds that had previously been held up by grant restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said.
“It’s important that we establish a strong partnership with Puerto Rico to reverse the damage done by the natural disasters and by, what I consider to be, not the strongest support in the past,” Cardona said in an interview with The Miami Herald. “It’s critically important that we release the funds and provide support for Puerto Rico.”
The announcement comes as Puerto Rico tries to get students back into the classroom after shuttering schools for a year. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi authorized a gradual and partial reopening of both private and public schools in early March, noting that many children have struggled to access virtual learning because they do not have reliable internet. The pandemic is just the latest crisis to affect the schooling of the island’s children. Hurricane Maria destroyed dozens of school buildings and a series of earthquakes that began in late 2019 has left others in a precarious state.
Pierluisi, who had previously requested immediate availability of federal coronavirus relief aid in a March 5 letter to the US Department of Education, welcomed the development.
“Our students have surpassed a lot, since the hurricanes from 2017 to earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic, and they deserve to return to normal. These resources will provide the necessary funds for the needs of our students on the island,” said Pierluisi.
The Biden administration has moved to loosen restrictions on funds allotted for Puerto Rico’s disaster response since taking office, announcing in February that they were moving forward with plans to disburse $1.3 billion in disaster relief from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the U.S. territory. The federal agency also began to slacken conditions on an additional $4.9 billion approved right before former President Donald Trump left office.
Over 40% of the new money, totaling $390 million, is left over from a stimulus measure signed into law by Trump last year, known as the CARES Act, and includes funds to help safely reopen schools. The remaining $522 million are 2019 fiscal year grant funds and include money to provide schooling for low-income and disabled students. According to the Education Department, accountability measures will be put in place to track the funds.
“It’s critically important that every dollar, every taxpayer dollar, is monitored and made sure that it’s being used for what the intention is, not only in Puerto Rico but throughout the country,” Cardona said. The top education official added that to ensure that there would be both oversight and efficient delivery of the funds, someone “directly connected” with his office would be assigned to work with Puerto Rico officials.
In Jan. 2020, former Puerto Rico Education Secretary Julia Keleher was accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of participating in a bribery scheme while she was at the helm of the island’s largest public agency. In July 2019, Keleher had also been indicted for other corruption charges. Legal proceedings related to the case are still ongoing.
Keleher’s case reminded many of the corruption scandal surrounding former Puerto Rico Secretary of Education Víctor Fajardo, who was convicted of corruption in the early 2000s. Fajardo, who spent years in jail, stole millions in federal money for personal and political party gain.
When the pandemic began, Puerto Rico shifted to online learning on an island where many students lack safe housing, computers or an internet connection. Puerto Rico’s public system of over 800 schools serves a student population where the majority live under the poverty level. In the 2019-2020 school year, the public high school dropout rate was almost 15%, according to the Department of Education, although experts say that number is likely much higher. Over 103,000 students have disabilities that require special education services.
Cardona, who is Puerto Rican, said that he hopes that the next four years will be an opportunity to create a “new culture of collaboration and support” between the federal and local education departments.
“More than just turning the lights on, it’s really about providing a top-tier education for all the students in Puerto Rico,” he said.
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