Therapists for special needs students demand payment

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés

By The Star Staff

With just a few days left in May, the island government’s debt to therapy service providers serving special needs students remains unpaid and is reaching alarming levels.

The Therapy Professionals and Providers Association (APPST by its initials in Spanish) on Monday warned that the amount owed could exceed $40 million, exacerbating a humanitarian and financial crisis that threatens the continuity of essential services for over 50,000 special education students across Puerto Rico.

Since March, hundreds of professionals have been providing therapy without receiving any compensation. Despite numerous efforts at dialogue, there has been no concrete action or reallocation of funds from the government or the Financial Oversight and Management Board to resolve the situation. With each passing day, more providers are facing financial collapse, the group said.

“We are approaching the end of the month, and we haven’t seen a single cent,” APPST President Víctor Moreno said. “Each day that passes without a response increases the harm to our children and the professionals who care for them. This is no longer an emergency; it is an absolute abandonment by the state.”

In an interview broadcast over the weekend, Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés said that after meetings with senior government officials and the oversight board, the necessary funds have been identified to pay the current debt, complete the current fiscal year, and allocate $100 million to the Provisional Remedy for the next 2025-2026 school year.

“At APPST, we respectfully respond that we do not question the secretary’s assurances; however, this same promise has been repeated in meetings over the last month without any significant payments being made,” the group said. “To date, the payments made for March represent less than 2% of the total debt for that month, which amounts to almost $17 million.”

Furthermore, in that same interview, the Education secretary noted that $13 million would be automatically disbursed this coming week. While this amount is necessary, the APPST said, it does not cover nearly the entire accumulated debt, and no specific date was provided for its distribution, leaving its timeline uncertain -- just as has been the case previously.

Ramos Parés has consistently stated that “at the moment, there is no cessation of services,” and that “all children are being served.”

“While we respect his statements, the reality is that some providers have already begun to cease their services,” the group said. “Our association can identify this in real time due to our monitoring structure and direct communication with members.”

“Unlike the Department of Education, which learns about any cessation of services only at the end of the month when providers submit their invoices, we have this information immediately,” the APPST added. “What the department will know in 30 days, we know today.”

For this reason, the group is calling for a mass demonstration today at 10 a.m. in front of the building in Hato Rey where the oversight board’s offices are located.

“We invite all federations, associations, unions, professional groups, and community and civil organizations -- not just from the education sector but from all sectors of the country -- to come together to defend our children’s right to receive their therapies,” the organization said.

Additionally, in light of the Education secretary’s statements, the APPST urged Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, to intervene directly to ensure that inter-agency red tape does not further delay the process, that the promised funds are released, and that the approved $100 million budget for next year becomes a reality rather than just another empty promise.

If the promises are not fulfilled this week, the group said, the operation of the Provisional Remedy will be in immediate jeopardy, directly affecting the provision of services for the extended school year, which would have serious and irreparable consequences for thousands of children whose ongoing treatment is essential.