Puerto Rico’s plan to close 265 public schools has hit a roadblock after a judge on June 11 ordered that the island stop the closure of at least nine schools. The judge also recommended other judges issue similar rulings in pending lawsuits on other school closures.

The decision was celebrated by the Puerto Rico Teachers Association, an AFT affiliate, which had sued over the closures with support from parents who say they worry about a lack of transportation to new schools and the disappearance of programs for special needs students. “Justice was served,” said Aida Diaz, the union’s president. “This ruling demonstrates that nobody has absolute authority to make arbitrary decisions over the rights of our people.”

The judge ruled the island’s Department of Education failed to prove the need for the closures and said a new law overhauling Puerto Rico’s education system does not amount to a blank check to close schools.

Island officials had announced in April that they intended to close 283 schools — a figure they scaled back to 265 after additional reviews and meetings with parents and teachers. The reason given for the closures is the ongoing exodus of students to the mainland United States in the wake of an 11-year recession and the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

Three other lawsuits involving about 60 public schools across Puerto Rico are still pending.
Associated Press, June 12