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The Public Buildings Authority (AEP by its initials in Spanish) will begin a program of reconditioning and rehabilitation of school facilities on March 16, with the goal of having them ready for the new academic year in August, Félix Lassalle Toro, the executive director of the agency, announced week.
The “Back to School 2025” program “is an initiative focused on urgently addressing the infrastructure needs of each school,” Lassalle Toro said in a written statement.
The work will include improvements to plumbing, electricity, structures, green areas, welding and painting, in accordance with the needs identified at each school. Puerto Rico’s public education system currently has 856 schools across the island.
The official stressed that, unlike in previous years, when such work used to begin in June or July, this year the effort will start earlier to speed up the processes and avoid delays.
“We have developed action plans, identified financial resources and assigned work teams to serve each school according to its particularities,” the AEP chief added. “The goal is to cut bureaucracy and achieve a direct, agile and transparent impact on the schools that require reconditioning before returning to classes.”
Lassalle Toro said he maintains constant communication with Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés and other government agencies to coordinate efforts and optimize resources.
