Officials said Monday, that the US Department of Education will release nearly $1 billion in federal funds to help Puerto Rico respond to both the pandemic and natural disasters, in the Biden administration’s latest move to restore ties with the island.
US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the US territory will immediately be able to access $912 million in education funds that were previously suspended due to grant restrictions imposed by the Trump administration.
“It is important that we build a strong partnership with Puerto Rico to reverse the damage from natural disasters and what I consider, is not the strongest support of the past,” Cardona said in an interview with the Miami Herald. “It is very important that we release the money and support Puerto Rico.”
The announcement comes as Puerto Rico is trying to return students to the classroom after schools have closed for a year. Governor Pedro Pierluisi authorized the gradual and partial reopening of private and public schools in early March, indicating that many children had struggled to access virtual learning because they did not have a reliable internet connection. The pandemic is the latest crisis affecting the education of the island’s children. Hurricane Maria destroyed dozens of school buildings and a series of earthquakes that began in late 2019 left others in a very dangerous condition.
Pierluisi, who had previously requested immediate availability of federal aid for coronavirus relief in a March 5 letter to the US Department of Education, welcomed the development.
