Coverage timeline
Department of Education
Every story we’ve published that names Department of Education, newest first.
Stories this week
7
Oct 14 to 20
First named
Jun 24, 2026
36 stories since
Top topic
Community
21 of 36 stories, then Politics
Coverage, newest first
October 2026
Oct 15 to 20
- Oversight Board Presses Puerto Rico Over Alianza Schools Funding Shortfall
Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight and Management Board has demanded information from Governor Jenniffer González Colón’s administration on the Alianza Schools (EPA in the board’s English acronym) program, after a multimillion-dollar funding deficit was detected.
- Parents Denounce School Inaction After 15-Year-Old Beaten by Four Classmates in Dorado
A 15-year-old tenth-grade student is recovering at the Centro Médico de Río Piedras after being beaten by four of his classmates on Thursday, October 15 at the José Santos Alegría school in Dorado.
- DRNA Secretary Quiles Opposes Mayors’ Plan to Move Camuy Caves Park to Tourism Company
Waldemar Quiles, secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), said on Sunday, October 18, that he opposes a proposal by three northern Puerto Rico mayors for managing the Río Camuy Caves National Park, calling it detrimental to the development of the recreational facilities and the conservation of natural areas.
- Attempt to Dismantle Vocational School in San Juan Denounced
In Puerto Rico, the vice president of the National Union of Educators and Education Workers (UNETE), Teacher Migdalia Santiago, denounced on Friday that the Department of Education (DE) plans to build a new school in the spaces of the Miguel Such Vocational School in San Juan.
- Oversight Board Questions Education Department Funding for Puerto Rico Charter-Style Alliance Schools
Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight Board (JSF) questioned whether the Education Department can fund current operations and the expansion of public alliance schools (EPA, known as charter schools), citing a projected $13 million deficit for these schools this fiscal year.
- Puerto Rico Governor Urges Tsunami Readiness: Only 30 to 35 Minutes to Evacuate Coasts After a Quake
In Puerto Rico, residents would have only 30 to 35 minutes to evacuate coastal zones if an earthquake triggers a tsunami threat, according to data the Puerto Rico Seismic Network presented at the Governor’s Earthquake Tabletop Exercise.
- Education Department Activates Emergency Alert System in Schools
The Puerto Rico Department of Education (DEPR) officially activated its emergency alert system in schools and agency facilities during an event at the Francisco Valdés school in Caguas, as part of the Gran ShakeOut de Puerto Rico.
Oct 1 to 7
- Education Department Launches Reading Promoters Project
The Puerto Rico Department of Education is launching a project for reading promoters, which was initially announced to start in August but will now begin two months later.
- Education Secretary Says Department Is Working to Pay School Transporters Amid Work Stoppage
Puerto Rico Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés responded on Monday to the work stoppage by school transporters, acknowledging that the Education Department (DE) owes them money.
- Education Dept. Non-Teaching Staff Pay Plan Would Cost $59.4 Million a Year
A classification and pay plan for the Puerto Rico Education Department’s non-teaching employees could cost $59.4 million a year, Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés told the House of Representatives’ Treasury Committee on Monday.
- House Finance Chair Urges Better Management at Education Department Over Unpaid Vendors
During a demonstration by the Puerto Rico Federation of School Transporters, Eddie Charbonier, chair of the House of Representatives’ Finance Committee, called for an evaluation of management inside the Department of Education (DE) so the agency can pay its service providers.
- School Bus Operators Demand Payment of About $9 Million Owed by Education Department
School transportation providers took to the streets in a protest on Monday over a multimillion-dollar debt the Puerto Rico Department of Education owes for services already provided.
- School Bus Operators to Protest in San Juan Monday Over Unpaid Education Department Debt
Drivers in San Juan on Monday could face delays from early in the day because of a demonstration called by the Federación de Porteadores Escolares de Puerto Rico and the Comité de Transportistas.
September 2026
Sep 29 to 30
- Governor Announces $20.5 Million Allocation to Cover Special Education Transportation
Governor Jenniffer González announced that the Financial Oversight and Management Board (JSF) authorized the reprogramming of just over $26.5 million to pay for several government services, including transportation for Special Education students and technology services.
- School Cafeterias Could Face Food Shortages as Suppliers Halt Deliveries Over Unpaid Education Department Bills
School cafeterias in Puerto Rico could begin to face food supply problems starting Wednesday after several suppliers halted deliveries over payments the Department of Education owes them, according to complaints made to Telemundo’s program Rayos X. The companies had warned the Department since last week that, if the payments were not addressed and a meeting held to seek a solution, they would begin stopping their distribution routes.
- House Education Committee to Examine Food Waste in Public School Cafeterias
The Puerto Rico House of Representatives’ Education Committee will hold a public hearing this Friday, October 2, to examine the handling and waste of food in the cafeterias of the Department of Education’s schools.
- Government Intervenes in School Meal Supply Issues
Norma Burgos Andújar, Secretary of the Gobernación, met with Nelly Ayala León, president of the Asociación de Empleados de Comedores Escolares, and other union representatives to discuss difficulties in food supply and distribution in public schools.
Sep 22 to 28
- Education Dept. and School Food Authority Demand Evidence Behind School Cafeteria Food Shortage Claims
Puerto Rico’s Department of Education (DE) Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés and School Food Authority (AEA) Director Franchesca Reyes Benítez have called on Nelly Ayala León, president of the Asociación de Empleados de Comedores Escolares, to present evidence backing her public claims of food shortages in school cafeterias.
- Puerto Rico Education Department to Train Over 22,000 Employees on Emergency Response
Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Education, Eliezer Ramos Parés, and Public Security Commissioner César González Cordero announced a new emergency preparedness training program that will reach approximately 22,136 teaching and non-teaching employees across the seven educational regions.
- Junta Fiscal Director Criticizes Education Department’s Budget
Robert Mujica, the executive director of the Junta Fiscal, criticized the Department of Education on Wednesday for its budget and the governor’s intention to increase pensions for those receiving less than $1,000.
- Contract Watch: LUMA’s $22.8 Million Contract Leads 40 New Filings Over $1 Million
As of Sep 23, the Comptroller has on file 40 government contracts of $1 million or more with private firms granted in the past two weeks.
Sep 15 to 21
- Union Warns PR Schools at Risk of Infection Spread Due to Staff Shortage
The Puerto Rican Workers’ Union (SPT-SEIU) criticized measures announced by the Department of Education to address the spread of infectious diseases in schools.
Sep 8 to 14
- International Theater Festival to Honor Rafael Fuentes
The 56th edition of the International Theater Festival, organized by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP), will be dedicated to the career of veteran actor, mime, and stage director Rafael Fuentes.
Sep 1 to 7
- Puerto Rico Students Show Improvement in Standardized Test Scores
According to an analysis of Crece test results, students in Puerto Rico’s public schools have shown improvement in standardized test scores over the past two years.
August 2026
Aug 22 to 28
- Mother Says Son Was Assaulted at Guaynabo School After Bullying Reports Ignored
An altercation occurred Wednesday, August 26, outside the Margarita Janer Palacios School in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, allegedly stemming from a previously reported bullying case that the Department of Education failed to act on.
- 18 Students Recognized as Winners of Literary Contest in Puerto Rico
The Department of Education (DEPR) recognized 18 students from public schools as winners and finalists of the first Literary Contest 'Había una vez en Puerto Rico' (Once Upon a Time in Puerto Rico).
- Documents Show Ex-Education Secretary Struggled to Obtain Teaching Certifications Since 1999
Former Puerto Rico Education Secretary Yanira Raíces Vega is pushing to have the Department of Education reverse its annulment of three professional certifications she obtained in 2024.
- Meta to Pay Puerto Rico $124.7 Million in Social Media Harm Settlement
Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice joined a multistate settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc., owner of Instagram and Facebook, that guarantees the island $124.7 million to fund programs addressing harm to Puerto Rican children and youth from excessive social media use, payable in ten installments.
Aug 8 to 14
- Interest in Puerto Rico’s School Choice Voucher Program Declines Sharply
According to the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, applications received by Puerto Rico’s Department of Education for vouchers or educational certificates, which allow students to transfer to private schools under the Free School Selection Program, fell 76% between 2021 and 2026.
July 2026
Jul 29 to 31
- 14 Years of Waiting: Teachers Still Haven’t Received Payment for Teaching Career
The Secretary of the Department of Education, Eliezer Ramos Parés, announced that the agency is waiting for the Office of Management and Budget (OGP) to authorize the payment to professionals in the teaching career.
Jul 15 to 21
- Puerto Rico Governor Signs Law Raising Fines for Not Yielding to Emergency Vehicles
Governor Jenniffer González Colón signed into law Act 133-2026, which amends Puerto Rico’s Vehicle and Traffic Law to raise the administrative fine for drivers who fail to yield to emergency vehicles (such as ambulances, police patrol cars, and fire trucks) operating with activated emergency signals, from $100 to $500.
Jul 8 to 14
- PHSU and Education Department Establish Alliance for Training Future Psychologists
Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) and the Puerto Rico Department of Education have formalized an affiliation agreement, allowing students from PHSU’s Master’s programs in School Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and PhD in Psychology to complete practice and internship experiences in Department of Education settings.
- Puerto Rico House Resolution Targets School Cafeteria Food Waste
Puerto Rico Rep. Tatiana Pérez-Ramírez, chair of the House Education Committee, has filed House Resolution 737 to investigate food waste in public school cafeterias under the Department of Education’s School Cafeteria Program.
Jul 1 to 7
- PR Education Department Partners with Techno Inventors on STEM Program
Puerto Rico’s Department of Education (DE) has signed a collaborative agreement with nonprofit Techno Inventors, Inc. to give thousands of public school students and teachers free access to educational experiences in robotics, programming, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, video game design and other disciplines.
- Governor Announces $118 Million to Settle Special Education Program Obligations
Governor Jenniffer González Colón announced the approval of $118 million to settle the obligations of the Special Education Program (PEE), including the payment of accumulated debts and current obligations for the 2026 fiscal year.
June 2026
Jun 22 to 28
- Puerto Rico House of Representatives Amends Budget to Include $3 Million for 4th of July Celebrations
The Puerto Rico House of Representatives approved a $635.5 million increase to the current budget, which will expire on June 30, bringing the total spending plan to $13.73 billion.