President Nayib Bukele inaugurated 70 newly renovated public schools on Sunday night, bringing the total number of schools upgraded under the government’s education program to 504, just ahead of the start of the 2026 school year in El Salvador’s public system on February 2.
The $68 million investment is part of the “Two Schools a Day” initiative, launched in May 2025 to modernize educational infrastructure nationwide. Bukele stressed that the renovations are structural rather than superficial, stating that “these are not cosmetic interventions” and acknowledging that the process requires time and sustained effort.
The president also confirmed that school supply packages will be delivered on schedule, contrasting the current administration’s performance with past delays. He defended the partial importation of supplies to meet deadlines, saying “the priority of this program is not awarding contracts, but delivering the packages”, while assuring that no funds were taken away from local producers.
Chile’s president-elect, José Antonio Kast, attended the event and described it with the words “Freedom and dignity” highlighting the transformation currently taking place in El Salvador’s education system. He added that “education brings freedom” and said the country could rapidly close the gap with more developed regional economies.
The 70 schools inaugurated this week add to another 70 delivered in November 2025, valued at $61 million, reinforcing the government’s goal of launching the new academic year with improved facilities across the country.