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A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 6 May 2017

Puerto Rico to close 179 public schools amid crisis

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