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WORLD NEWSSaturday 6 May 2017

Puerto Rico to close 179 public schools amid crisis

Ana Sanchez and her 8-year-old daughter Naiyari lock the gates of her school, The Dr. Isaac Gon- problems.” percent in the past three
zalez Martinez school, as part of their daily responsibilities in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Friday, May Opponents of previous decades, and an addi-
5, 2017. The school is one of 179 closing this month amid an economic crisis, and Naiyari’s second school closures say that tional 22 percent drop is
school to close within two years. transportation logistics and expected in upcoming
special education needs years, according to a re-
(AP Photo/Danica Coto) were not taken into ac- port that the Boston Con-
count. An estimated 30 sulting Group submitted to
By DANICA COTO spent 10 years handing out those schools would remain percent of Puerto Rico stu- the previous administration
Associated Press nearly $3 billion in a system open. dents receive specialized to help restructure Puerto
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico that hardly has any books,” The school shutdown an- education, twice the aver- Rico’s education system.
(AP) — Puerto Rico is clos- she said. “We cannot keep nounced Friday will be age in the U.S. mainland. Much of the drop was the
ing 179 public schools in a doing what we’re doing the largest mass closure of Keleher stressed that spe- result of parents moving to
move expected to save because we don’t have schools in the island’s his- cial education needs are the mainland U.S. in search
more than $7 million amid the resources.” tory. Officials shuttered 150 being addressed and that of jobs and a more afford-
a deep economic crisis The news about the school schools over the span of no one would be laid off able life, as well as thou-
that has sparked an exodus closures raised concerns five years from 2010 to 2015. amid the closures, which sands of teachers being
to the U.S. mainland in the it could speed up the on- The announcement an- she said would allow the recruited from the island
past decade, officials said going exodus from Puerto gered many parents at department to better serve for their bilingual skills. The
Friday. Rico. Nearly 450,000 peo- one school who said they students and redistribute island’s low birth rate also
An estimated 27,000 stu- ple over the last decade learned about the closure sources more equally. is expected to keep driving
dents will be moved else- have already left for Florida through the media. Several education officials down enrollment.
where when their schools and other parts of the U.S. “This is a disaster,” said Ana supported the move, say- The school closures were
close at the end of May, mainland to flee the wors- Sanchez, mother of an ing that previous education announced just days after
said newly appointed Edu- ening economic crisis. 8-year-old daughter whose secretaries have long been the governor announced
cation Secretary Julia Kele- Officials initially had said new school is closing for the divorced from the depart- that Puerto Rico was em-
her. 184 schools were closing second time in two years as ment’s problems and did bracing a bankruptcy-like
“We have a fiscal crisis and but then announced at a result of the crisis. “This is not properly use the limited process as it struggles to re-
few resources and we’ve the last minute that five of causing her psychological resources they had. structure $73 billion in pub-
Principal Ida Luz, whose lic debt.
school in the municipal- The decision to resolve a
ity of Bayamon is among portion of the debt in court
those closing, said she sup- is the largest effort ever
ports the change because made by a U.S. govern-
she does not have the re- ment to shield itself from
sources that her students creditors. It’s unknown how
need. long the bankruptcy-like
“We barely get any gov- process will take, although
ernment money,” she said, local government officials
her eyes welling with tears. believe it could be re-
“Sometimes the children solved in four years.
have to come into my of- Overall, Puerto Rico has $73
fice to ask for toilet paper. I billion in public debt accu-
bring it from my house.” mulated in part by previous
Puerto Rico currently has a administrations borrowing
total of 1,292 public schools money to cover budget
that serve 365,000 students. deficits. By comparison,
The island has seen its the U.S. city of Detroit had
school enrollment drop 42 less than $20 billion in debts
when it filed for bankruptcy
Brazil’s president vows to quit politics after term ends in 2013, which was the big-
gest U.S. municipal bank-
SAO PAULO (AP) — Unpop- his predecessor Dilma Rous- of 2018. Temer’s reputation has ruptcy ever.
ular Brazilian President Mi- seff was impeached last A recent Datafolha institute been tainted by corruption In related news on Friday,
chel Temer has pledged to year. poll says just 9 percent of allegations in the ongoing U.S. District Judge Laura
retire from politics after he The 76-year-old Temer Brazilians approve Temer’s probe into bribes paid by Taylor Swain from Southern
leaves office. vowed he will not seek re- job performance. the Petrobras oil company. District of New York was
Temer also insisted in an in- election and will deliver That figure is lower than He still faces a trial that designated as the presid-
terview aired that Thursday promised austerity mea- Rousseff’s was when she could remove him within ing judge in Puerto Rico’s
night that he has not made sures before leaving office. was forced from the presi- weeks. q bankruptcy-like case.q
any mistakes in office since His term ends the last day dency.