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On Tuesday during a hearing for the Incoming Transition Committee, Education Secretary Yanira Raíces Vega disclosed that administrative and operational costs account for 61% of the agency’s budget.
Raíces Vega remarked, “to optimize the funds for increasing the dollar per student, adjustments such as closing schools are necessary.”
“I am going to address topics that may be uncomfortable for some, but they are essential for me to tackle,” she noted.
According to Raíces Vega, 61% of the agency’s yearly budget is allocated to human resources, covering salaries and retirement benefits.
“We face a scenario where individuals say ‘you have the students,’ and I counter with it being an inventory issue,” she explained.
“I’ll illustrate with an example without disclosing municipalities,” Raíces Vega elaborated. “There are municipalities where I have five schools, and collectively they cannot accommodate 620 students who could fit into a single school, yet I must maintain four schools operational.
“This exemplifies the challenges we encounter,” she continued. “There’s an inefficient distribution. The administrative recommendation is to create a more effective distribution.”
“I hesitate to advocate for closing schools because ‘boo,’ it evokes fear,” the official commented. “If the intention is to keep them open, that’s feasible. However, a better distribution must be established.”