2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE THREE - Executive (§§ 1 — 9311) › Chapter 9A - Department of Education (1999) › Subchapter X - General Education Council (§§ 148 — 148m) › § 148c - Duties, powers and attributes

The Council shall have the following duties, powers and attributes:
(1) Authorize, through the [issuance] of licenses valid for periods not greater than four (4) years, the establishment and the operation of private schools at the preschool, elementary, secondary, vocational, technical and highly skilled, and postsecondary non-university levels in Puerto Rico, pursuant to the provisions of §§ 2111—2125 of Title 18.
(2) Accredit for periods not greater than five (5) years the schools of the public education system, the municipal schools and the private schools that request it, in order to corroborate if their operations are developed and their programs imparted at satisfactory levels of excellence.
(3) Establish regulations, procedures and objective evaluation criteria for their licensing and accreditation procedures and divulge the same for the knowledge of the institutions that shall be subject to them; that the regulations applicable to private educational institutions shall always be promulgated in compliance with the provisions of §§ 2111—2125 of Title 18.
(4) Establish, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, a procedure to address the specific situation of schools that, upon the corresponding evaluation, have not obtained accreditation from the Council. In the case of municipal schools, the procedure shall be established in collaboration with the corresponding entity of the municipal administration.
(5) Authorize substantial changes in the terms and conditions of the licenses in effect, when requested and are justified.
(6) Modify, suspend or cancel licenses or accreditation granted to schools that fail to comply with the provisions of §§ 148—148m of this title or that violate the terms and conditions under which the same have been issued. When the cancellation, suspension or modification of a license refers to a private educational institution, the same shall be perfected pursuant to the procedure and norms established in § 2123 of Title 18.
(7) Establish information systems and design evaluation models to develop the licensing and accreditation processes in the most open manner possible.
(8) Appoint evaluating committees to carry out the licensing and accreditation processes, with the knowledge and collaboration of the institutions to be evaluated.
(9) Promote the offering of continuing education programs [for the] benefit of the teachers and executive personnel of the schools.
(10) Appoint examining officials to make findings of facts and submit recommendations with respect to petitions for the reconsideration of decisions regarding applications for licenses and accreditations.
(11) Issue orders, including orders to cease and desist.
(12) Impose administrative fines, when necessary, for violations to the norms established.
(13) Resort to the courts to enforce compliance of the orders issued pursuant to §§ 148—148m of this title and its regulations.
(14) To sue and be sued.
(15) Sponsor conferences, seminars or workshops to analyze topics related to the licensing and accreditation processes.
(16) Adopt bylaws and any others needed to perform the functions entrusted by §§ 148—148m of this title.
(17) Evaluate the budget petition prepared by the President.
(18) Adopt an official seal.
(19) Submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislative Bodies regarding the progress in executing the work imposed by §§ 148—148m of this title.
(20) Recognize local, regional or national accrediting agencies that meet the requirements established by the Council to grant Certificates of Accreditation to private schools.
History —July 15, 1999, No. 148, § 7; Apr. 15, 2000, No. 69, § 2; July 20, 2009, No. 40, § 3.