Rico Highway 129), would be transformed for use by the agricultural industry of Lares. The island's economic crisis along with the resulting population loss has caused a decline in the student population. In 2020 the department had 16,105 students, representing a decline of 5.5% from the year before. The department also has seen a lack of personnel, including teachers and directors. Most years, the agency has needed hundreds more staff: 500 in 2013, 300 in 2019, and 457 in 2021. In 2018 the American Federation of Teachers president Randy Weingarten indicated the beginning of the school year was "plagued by chaos and lack of planning". The staff shortages have resulted in many schools delaying the first week of class. In September 2020, the Trump administration approved $13 billion, through FEMA, to Puerto Rico destined to rebuild the electrical infrastructure and education system. The department continues to struggle fiscally in 2021. Interim secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés informed the agency had witnessed cuts of $749 million from both state and local sources and as a result lacked $58 million needed for wages. The 2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes resulted in various schools being damaged or shuttered. Delays in receiving funds for repairs hampered efforts to resume classes. COVID-19 Pandemic In 2021 the department announced summer classes to help 37,000 students which are at risk of not passing to the next grade, in part due to problems related to online learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This represented at least 20% of the student population at risk of failing. During the 2021 spring semester, governor Pedro Pierluisi attempted to reopen schools which had been shuttered due to the pandemic, but these plans were delayed. The school reopening process demonstrated some schools lacked teachers, psychologist and custodians. Eligible students were required to be vaccinated nonetheless, days before the beginning of the semester the department did not have knowledge of how many had received their COVID-19 shots. For the August 2021 semester, the department ordered air purifiers, but the purchase was halted by the Financial Oversight and Management Board due to a lack of a competitive process. The contractor for the air purifiers had been involved in another controversial contract related to providing students with tutoring. In March 2021, as part of Governor Pedro Pierluisi's executive order on gender based violence, the department incorporated gender studies into the curriculum for 2022. Organization UnEE The