Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González announced that approximately 5,850 active and inactive teachers in the public education system will receive retroactive payments for the Teacher Career program, a debt that in some cases dates back to 2013. The payment will be financed with $90.4 million from the current budget (2025-26) for accumulated debts since 2010. González stated that she will submit an amendment to the government's expenditure resolution to facilitate the payment.
The estimated payment per teacher is around $15,000, with 58% of cases involving debts over $5,000. The payment will be made through the teachers' payrolls, although the details for retired teachers were not specified. The Teacher Career program, established by Law 158 of 1999, was suspended after Puerto Rico's government bankruptcy.
González was accompanied by Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés and Orlando Rivera Berríos, director of the Office of Management and Budget, during the announcement.