Budget Cut Leaves School Security in Limbo for 600 Guards Days Before Classes Begin

Less than a week before the next school cycle begins, about 600 security guards who cover Puerto Rico's public schools received word that they could lose their jobs or see their work hours drastically cut. The cause: a budget reduction that the Department of Education (DE) is making to school security spending, according to contractor Génesis Security Services. ¹

Génesis Security is the private company that has provided security guards to public school campuses for years. In a letter dated July 28, the company's human resources director, Cynthia M. Ruiz Arroyo, notified employees that the DE ordered a reduction in both the number of officers assigned to schools and the hours of service they provide, due to a budget decrease. ¹

"As a result, and much to our regret, we are informing you that approximately 600 employees will be affected," Ruiz Arroyo wrote in the letter, which also acknowledged that the company could not comply with the 60-day notice required under the federal WARN Act (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) before mass layoffs at companies with 100 or more employees. The company's stated justification: the imminent receipt of the notification and unforeseeable circumstances. ¹

The changes take effect in August 2026, right as the new school year begins. According to the DE's official calendar, teaching staff return to campuses on August 3 for systemic agenda discussions, open house for families is August 5, and classes for students start August 6. ² In other words, the uncertainty over who will monitor school gates and hallways is landing right as thousands of children and teenagers head back to class after summer break.

Génesis Security said it will evaluate possible transfers, schedule reassignments, or employment terminations on a case-by-case basis, and will contact each worker individually in the coming days. The company also committed to guiding affected guards on how to apply for unemployment benefits and other social assistance. ¹

As of this publication, the Department of Education has not issued any public statement about the cut or about how it plans to cover security at campuses while the situation with Génesis Security is resolved. For direct questions, the DE maintains a helpline at (787) 759-2000. ³

The reduction is not happening in a vacuum. In March of this year, Génesis Security asked the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education to investigate possible irregularities in the bidding process that the local DE ran to operate the electronic surveillance system in public schools, a contract in which the company itself was also a bidder. ¹

What this means for you

If you have children, grandchildren, or family members in the public school system, this cut could mean fewer eyes watching campus entrances and exits right as the school year begins. For the security guards themselves, the uncertainty is even more direct: they still do not know whether they will lose their job entirely, have their hours cut, or be transferred to another school with only days of notice. And for the education system itself, the situation leaves open the question of who will take over security at campuses where Génesis Security cannot maintain full coverage once classes start.

How to do it / Checklist

1. Call your child's school office before August 6 and ask directly whether a security guard will be assigned and on what schedule the campus will be covered.
2. Verify or update the list of people authorized to pick up your child at the school office, since with fewer security staff that control matters even more.
3. Get the direct phone number for the school principal's office and save it in your phone alongside the number for your local police precinct.
4. If you work as a school security guard and received the Génesis Security letter, request an individual meeting in writing and keep copies of all communications, in case you need them later for a labor claim.
5. If your job is affected, file your unemployment claim with the Department of Labor and Human Resources as soon as you receive the formal termination letter — do not wait until the end of August.
6. Follow the official social media accounts of the Department of Education and your school for any security contingency plan announced before the first bell rings.

What's next

The Department of Education still has not said how it will cover the security shifts that Génesis Security cannot maintain, or whether it will seek another contractor or take over campus security directly at some schools. It is also unclear whether lawmakers or security guard unions will step in before the school cycle begins on August 3. CoquiList will keep following this story in the coming weeks to see whether the DE announces a contingency plan before families drop their kids off for the first day of the 2026-2027 school year.