The short version
- Primera Hora reports NOLA CEO John Alvendia told Sen. Juan Oscar Morales that Gov. Jenniffer González Colón made the first approach for Star Academy at the Republican Governors Association meeting
- According to Primera Hora, Alvendia identified Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes as requesting the December 2025 Louisiana visit and said NOLA paid around $13,000 for the delegation's transportation and meals
- El Vocero reported Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde questioned the governor's relationship with NOLA, citing the company's political donations and linking them to access for the $38 million TANF-funded contract
- Primera Hora reported the contract was never signed after ex-ADSEF administrator Blanca Medina Díaz refused despite alleged pressure from Roig Fuertes
Updates
Update, Nov 1, 4:22 PM AST
New sources add NOLA CEO's claim that Gov. González made the first approach, plus $13k in trip expenses and senator referrals to federal authorities.
Primera Hora reported that NOLA Education CEO John Alvendia told Sen. Juan Oscar Morales the governor made the first approach for the Star Academy program. Primera Hora reported that Alvendia identified Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes as the one who requested the December 2025 site visit to Louisiana schools and said NOLA paid about $13,000 for the delegation's transportation, lunches, snacks and dinners. The senator said he will forward the 28-page response to federal authorities and local oversight bodies on Monday, citing further irregularities; the contract was never executed after former ADSEF administrator Blanca Medina Díaz refused to sign the $38.5 million deal despite alleged pressure from Roig Fuertes.
El Vocero reported that Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde questioned the governor's link to NOLA after reviewing the documents, noting the initial contact occurred at the Republican Governors Association meeting. El Vocero reported that Álvarez Conde referenced her Oct. 7 public hearing questions about NOLA's political donations to the Republican Party and the association, saying the new information reinforces concerns over donations, access and public contracts. The senator described a pattern in which campaign donors receive tax decrees or contracts.
Both new reports repeat that the governor expressed strong interest on Feb. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C., and that no contract was ultimately signed. Roig Fuertes issued a written statement saying she would not respond to NOLA's claims because the matter is part of an ongoing process and would only comment officially when required.
Initial outreach under two administrations
NOLA Education first tried to bring its Star Academy program to Puerto Rico during the administration of former Gov. Pedro Pierluisi. WAPA reported that the company held several meetings with officials from the former governor's office, including former Family Department Secretary Ciení Rodríguez, as well as members of the House and Senate. Although the conversations generated considerable interest, the initiative did not move forward because the administration provided no follow-up, according to a document NOLA sent to the Senate.
NOLA Education's initial contact with Gov. Jenniffer González Colón occurred on Feb. 20, 2025, during a meeting of the Republican Governors Association in Washington, D.C., El Nuevo Día reported. The company presented Star Academy as an opportunity to help students whose education was disrupted by Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017, the 2020 earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic. González expressed strong interest in exploring a pilot project on the island, according to the company's submission.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Esa admisión refuerza las preguntas que levanté sobre la relación entre donativos, acceso al poder y contratos públicos. Puerto Rico merece respuestas y transparencia.
Our translation: That admission reinforces the questions I have raised about the relationship between donations, access to power and public contracts. Puerto Rico deserves answers and transparency.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Follow-up meetings and contract selection
After the initial contact, a follow-up meeting took place on May 12, 2025, at the Department of Education offices with representatives from Education and the Family Department, WAPA reported. Another follow-up meeting occurred on Oct. 6, 2025, at the Family Department. The company was selected for the Star Academy project in January 2026. The project was valued at $37.5 million over three years in NOLA's proposal, though Department of the Family documents listed $38.5 million, according to the company.
The Department of the Family issued requests for proposals to 45 companies on Dec. 30, 2025, and selected NOLA three weeks later. Although the contract was never signed, the initiative was promoted through the Administration for the Socioeconomic Development of the Family using federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds. The Department of Education did not favor the project and its eligibility for federal funds had not been established, El Nuevo Día reported.
Expenses during Louisiana trip and project termination
Regarding a trip to Louisiana from Dec. 7-10, 2025, NOLA told the Senate it covered the cost of meals for Puerto Rico government officials, including Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes. The company said no one in the delegation told them they could not pay for their food and drink. A receipt for one dinner at Arnaud’s was reported at $2,956.75. El Nuevo Día reported that three of the four Family Department officials on the trip claimed fixed per diems authorized by the government, while the fourth paid her own expenses.
NOLA said it was informed on May 19, 2026, that its work with schools in Puerto Rico would not proceed. The company also noted it had gone months without responses from the Family Department before that notification, WAPA reported. The company stated it respects the Senate's oversight role and provided the information in response to a request from the Health Commission chaired by Sen. Juan Oscar Morales.
Where the sources differ
All four sources agree on the Feb. 20, 2025, Washington, D.C., contact at the Republican Governors Association meeting, the sequence of 2025 meetings, the Louisiana trip in December 2025, that no contract was signed, and the roughly $38 million value. The new Primera Hora account states NOLA now claims the governor made the first approach and that Roig Fuertes requested the site visit, while earlier WAPA and El Nuevo Día reports said NOLA first tried under Pierluisi and then contacted González. El Vocero adds Sen. Álvarez Conde's comments linking donations to access, which were referenced but not central in the prior El Nuevo Día story. WAPA and Primera Hora differ on exact trip expense figures ($13,000 total vs. specific meal receipts).
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether the governor or her staff dispute NOLA's new claim that she made the first approach. They provide no details on any response from La Fortaleza, the outcome of referrals to the Department of Justice, Inspector General or Comptroller, or whether the $13,000 in expenses violated any rules. The sources also do not specify the exact reasons for termination, total amount spent if any, or the content of the governor's specific statements beyond NOLA's characterization.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published and last updated. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting NOLA Education intentó traer programa Star Academy desde la administración de Pierluisi
- Reporting Previo a adjudicación de contrato en Familia: NOLA Education habría hablado con Jenniffer González sobre Star Academy
- Reporting NOLA Education identifica a la gobernadora Jenniffer González como el primer contacto para la controvertible contratación
- Reporting Cuestionan vínculo de la gobernadora con NOLA Education tras revelaciones sobre primer acercamiento
How we checked this
Primera Hora and El Vocero reported the latest NOLA submission to Sen. Juan Oscar Morales and reactions from Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde and Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes. Earlier WAPA and El Nuevo Día accounts provided the original timeline and meeting details that this update augments.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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