U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announced that Puerto Rico will receive nearly $4 billion in federal education pandemic relief funds.
What We Know:
- Cardona is currently on a 3 day trip to the U.S. territory, the first for a Biden administration Cabinet member. His announcement of aid comes with the hope that the funds will help the island fight against COVID-19 and get children back to school. It will be the first time the island has full access to these funds after roadblocks with the Trump administration.
- Half of the $4 billion will be a part of the American Rescue Plan Act, Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan that was signed in March to help offset economic and public health impacts of the pandemic. It is unclear what Governor Pedro Pierluisi and his administration plan to do exactly with the funds.
- In March, Puerto Rico opened dozens of public and private schools, despite the fact that less than 100 of the 850 on the island were authorized to do so. Kindergartners, special education students, first, second, third, and 12th graders were permitted to return to school for in-person classes twice a week. Attendance to these in-person classes was low due to COVID-19 anxieties, and a month later officials closed all schools due to a spike in cases.
- For more than a year teachers and students have struggled with the online format. Ongoing power outages and unreliable or nonexistent internet prevented many from attending class. 24,000 students reportedly failed their classes, which prompted Puerto Rico’s Department of Education to hold summer courses with the help of $210 million previously approved funds.
Cardona is set to meet with Governor Pierluisi as well as students, educators, parents, and union leaders. He stated, “The students of Puerto Rico have suffered enough. It’s time to get them back to school safely and quickly.”
