Uncertainty prevails at island Education Dept. amid federal layoffs

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon during a recent visit at the federal Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

By The Star Staff

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés responded on Wednesday to the news that the federal Department of Education will lay off 50% of its workers and the potential impact on federal education funds.

“It is essential to emphasize that within the structure of the United States Department of Education (USDE), the administration of educational systems falls to the states and territories through their respective agencies. This principle will not change,” Ramos Parés said in a written statement. “While federal funds are crucial for the operation of the educational system in Puerto Rico, to date, the federal Secretary of Education has not indicated that these layoffs will affect the budget allocated to the island. We have held meetings with her and her team recently, and we will remain in contact to ensure the continuity of services for our students.”

Given the recent announcements about layoffs at the federal Department of Education, Ramos Parés noted that it is currently unknown who will be affected or from which offices they will come.

“At this time, we will not engage in speculation without having official and detailed information,” he said.

“However, we recognize and appreciate the work of the officials with whom we have collaborated to strengthen public education on the island over the years,” the island education secretary said. “They have been valuable partners, and we wish them every success in their future endeavors.”

“We understand the concern this situation may generate in our educational community,” Ramos Parés continued. “Therefore, we will continue to communicate with the leadership in Washington and closely monitor any developments. Since the beginning of the year, we have maintained a firm stance on the importance of being attentive to these processes.”

The official added that “my commitment, along with that of our dedicated teachers and education system staff, is to ensure that these changes do not impact the education of our students.”

“They are our reason for being and our absolute priority,” Ramos Parés said.

According to a press report, the U.S. Department of Education earlier this week announced the layoff of approximately 1,300 employees, reducing the workforce to 2,183 (see related story on page 6). Before layoffs and other staff reductions began earlier this year, the agency’s workforce stood at 4,133 employees. The most recent measure was part of President Donald Trump’s strategy of reducing the size of the federal government and transferring greater educational responsibilities to the states. The affected employees will be placed on administrative leave effective March 21.

A Puerto Rico woman impacted by the layoffs expressed her concerns about the uncertainty surrounding the situation and the potential delay in the disbursement of funds at the local level.

Deborah Menieur said that in addition to the more than 1,300 laid-off employees, at least 600 opted to participate in a direct resignation program and the voluntary separation incentive payment.

It is unclear how the island will be directly impacted by the departure of the employees.

“The department’s press release specified that none of its statutory functions, which are protected by law, will be affected,” Menieur emphasized during a radio interview. “This means that, at this time, we really don’t know how this may or may not affect Puerto Rico. The reality is that Puerto Rico receives formula funding, and it receives support for special education. What we may see is a delay in the handling of cases or other issues, but we can’t say for sure how this will affect us. It is important to note that this change in personnel could influence the speed at which all of the department’s functions are processed throughout the United States.”