$1.2 Billion Education Budget Cut Threatens School Year as Agencies Adopt Schools for Repairs

With less than two weeks before classes resume on August 6, Puerto Rico's Department of Education is staring down a $1.2 billion budget cut that threatens to leave schools without adequate transportation, full-time janitorial staff, and drastically reduced special education programs ¹. Meanwhile, Governor Jenniffer González Colón is expanding the "Quiero Mi Escuela" (I Want My School) initiative so that every government agency adopts two public schools and helps with conditioning before the first day of class ².

The Education Department's total budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 stands at $7.057 billion. Of that, $1.139 billion in federal funds and $63 million from the general fund were slashed ¹. The numbers tell a troubling story: school transportation funding plummeted from $97 million to $52 million — a cut of nearly 50%. The special education program dropped from $63.7 million to $19.6 million, a decline of more than 69% ¹.

But while essential services face the ax, other budget lines are growing. Political appointees went from $7.65 million to $8.01 million. Acquired services (outside contracts) jumped from $60.11 million to $89.87 million. And charter schools received an increase from $16.97 million to over $29 million ¹. The message is clear: money exists, but priorities are not in the classroom.

Maintenance staff — the janitors who keep schools clean — were cut to just four-hour workdays ¹. Security guards also face reductions. All of this comes weeks before more than 300,000 students return to the classroom.

"There is no doubt that these budget cuts will significantly affect the Department's capacity," warned Carmen Warren, spokesperson for the Parents Committee ¹. UNETE teachers' union president Liza Fournier was blunt: "This affects school maintenance" ¹. Mercedes Martínez Padilla, president of the Puerto Rico Teachers Federation, held nothing back: "The Department is going from bad to worse. This semester is going to start very rough" ¹.

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés met with unions on July 15 and promised a follow-up meeting, but has not set a date ¹. The Fiscal Control Board stated it "has not received any official request" to reconsider the budget ¹. And when the Board rejected a February request for an additional $25 million for the Department, the message was unmistakable: no more funds ².

Facing that void, Governor González Colón expanded "Quiero Mi Escuela," which now assigns two public schools to each government agency for cleaning, painting, maintenance, and beautification before the school year begins ². "When the entire Government works united, we can achieve concrete results for our students," said the governor ². Agencies are absorbing the costs directly.

What It Means for You

If you have children in Puerto Rico's public school system, brace for a difficult semester. The 50% cut to transportation could mean your child's school bus won't show up, that routes will change, or that service simply won't exist. If your child receives special education services, that program lost more than two-thirds of its funding — which could mean fewer therapists, fewer service hours, and longer waitlists. And with janitors working only four hours a day, hygiene conditions in schools could deteriorate.

How to Take Action

1. Contact your child's school this week to confirm whether school bus service will be available and on what schedule.
2. If your child receives special education services, request an updated copy of their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in writing and ask whether services will continue unchanged.
3. Document any deficiencies you notice when classes begin — take photos, note dates, and report them in writing to the school principal.
4. Join your school's Parents Committee. They have a voice in how resources are managed.
5. If the school has no transportation, coordinate with other neighborhood parents to set up a carpooling system.
6. Contact the Department of Education's regional office to ask whether your school was adopted under the "Quiero Mi Escuela" program and what improvements will be made.

What Comes Next

The school year begins August 6. By then, we'll know whether "Quiero Mi Escuela" managed to bridge the gap left by budget cuts or whether it was just a cosmetic patch. Teachers' unions are anticipating a semester of protests and demands. The Fiscal Control Board has shown no signs of loosening the budget, and Secretary Ramos Parés still owes the unions a follow-up meeting. What's at stake isn't just paint and buses — it's the quality of education for a generation of Puerto Rican students.

Sources: ¹ https://www.elvocero.com/gobierno/reina-la-incertidumbre-en-educaci-n-ante-recorte-presupuestario-de-1-200-millones/article_5c58dcbb-2dbd-4f39-81d3-392464ae108b.html ² https://noticel.com/noticias/20260727/jefes-de-agencias-adoptaran-dos-escuelas-para-ayudar-en-el-acondicionamiento/