By The Star Staff
In light of the concerns voiced by Education Department secretary-designate Eliezer Ramos Parés, who has acknowledged persistent bureaucratic issues within the agency, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón will meet with the department today to gain further insight.
The decision comes as the excessive bureaucracy has reportedly prevented schools from being adequately prepared for the upcoming resumption of classes.
“The information presented to me was based on the transition report, which has yet to be released publicly,” the governor said. “We found that many schools were still not ready. While I previously stated that everything would be in order by August, it has only been a week -- literally -- with me serving as governor for a mere four days.”
“We are now evaluating the status of all these schools, working closely with contractors and relevant management figures to handle these issues,” she added. “This is precisely why we appointed key personnel to the Education Department and the Public Buildings Authority, tasking them with coordinating efforts alongside OMEP [the Spanish acronym for Office of Public School Maintenance].”
“I will personally visit the Education Department [Tuesday] to assess the progress because I am not satisfied with mere PowerPoint presentations,” González Colón said.
Ramos Parés, who was among the governor’s second round of appointments on Jan. 1, was interim education secretary from April 2021 to February 2022 and after that he was confirmed as secretary. However, he left the position midway through 2023.