Federal agents arrested the mayor of one of the wealthiest cities in Puerto Rico on corruption charges Thursday, the second such case announced this month. Guaynabo Mayor Ángel Pérez Otero faces three counts, including bribery and extortion. He is accused of regularly accepting payments of $5,000 in exchange for awarding contracts to the owner of a construction company. In early December, federal officials announced that former Cataño Mayor Félix Delgado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and receive kickbacks after he was accused of awarding 50 contracts worth nearly $10 million to an asphalt company.
On November 18, with a federal assistance team on the ground, the Department announced approval of Puerto Rico’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund State Plan and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funding to the Commonwealth. The plan details how Puerto Rico is using and intends to use ARP ESSER funds to safely reopen and sustain operations of schools and classrooms and address the essential needs of students, including by equitably expanding educational opportunities for students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. To date, 47 plans have been approved (see state-by-state press releases and highlights online).
Moreover, over the past two weeks, the Department approved ARP Homeless Children and Youth (HCY) State Plans for 27 states and Puerto Rico. These plans represent commitments to using $800 million in ARP funding designated to identify and support students experiencing homelessness and connecting them to wrap-around services. Many states and districts have already begun to utilize ARP HCY funds, following the Department’s disbursement of funding earlier this year (blog post — with a few examples).
Furthermore, the Department announced about $20 million in grants to Tribal Educational Agencies (TEAs) under the ARP American Indian Resilience in Education (AIRE) program. These grants fund culturally relevant projects designed to assist and encourage Native American children and youth to enter, remain in, or re-enter school at any grade level. Activities include a range of direct education, health, and workforce preparation services for Native students, their teachers, and their families (press release — with a few examples).
Separately, the Department issued guidance on using ARP funding for student transportation, including to address current regional challenges with hiring and retaining a sufficient number of school bus drivers.