School bus operators in Puerto Rico still do not know when they will be paid for services already provided to public school students, José Rosado Rolón, president of the Federación de Porteadores Escolares (School Bus Operators Federation), said on Monday, November 9. He said the Department of Education still owes $9.5 million to dozens of companies, a figure that does not include services provided this school year.
"It's obvious."
Rosado Rolón said that in early October, Office of Management and Budget (OGP) director Orlando Rivera Berríos said it would take a few days to review information from Education so the Oversight Board (JSF) could authorize disbursement by mid-month. But on Thursday, November 5, during a protest by several organizations in Old San Juan, the Oversight Board’s executive director said at a reporter’s question that they were still waiting on the OGP process, Rosado Rolón said.
Asked whether government officials had lied to him, he replied: "It’s obvious." He went to the Senate on Monday for a public hearing on problems reported since the government’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system began operating in July. Alberto Cordero, president and founder of Ethree Solutions, which supported the ERP project, said performance metrics have improved since July and that "over 95%" of invoices pending from last fiscal year have been disbursed.
Rosado Rolón asked why school bus operators are "within that 5%." He said companies lack liquidity to continue while fuel prices remain high, and that not all were selected in a General Services Administration (ASG) auction. The ASG’s auction board issued the award resolution on September 11 and an amended resolution on October 2 selecting 147 proposals.
At least five companies, including his Transporte Rosado, have asked that the award be revoked. Rosado Rolón said the ASG has launched a second phase to contract additional providers for routes left uncovered. He raised concern about a contract clause allowing subcontracting with prior written ASG authorization, though the auction rules stated that "under no circumstance" would a carrier be allowed to subcontract student transportation.