Puerto Rico’s Oversight Board warned that unpaid Special Education Program debts could exceed $20 million, and that the Department of Education still has not determined how much it owes despite the Board’s repeated requests since May. In a letter sent Monday to Office of Management and Budget director Orlando Rivera Berríos and Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés, Board executive director Robert F. Mujica noted Education identified $11 million to $14 million in debts for educational and therapy services on September 15, without clarifying whether that covered all obligations.
Education later reported an additional $5.5 million in unpaid invoices for school transportation services. The Board also flagged discrepancies: it is unclear whether invoices went unpaid due to insufficient funds, costs exceeding contracts, or payment delays, even though funding was approved for fiscal year 2026. Mujica said the Board cannot evaluate the program’s financing needs until Education reconciles reported balances.
The debts represent a significant fiscal risk to the certified fiscal year 2027 budget, and Education continues relying on nonrecurring funds for recurring obligations while requesting money for prior-year debts not disclosed during the budget process. The Board ordered Education to report all pending obligations, with documentation, methodology, payment status and the fiscal year of each debt, by Friday, November 6, ahead of a meeting with the Board, OGP and the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF) before fiscal 2028 budget drafting.