President of the Court, Luís Roberto Barroso, answered the appeal filed by the Attorney General of the State of São Paulo to overthrow Paulista Justice decision that suspended the grant
O gave green light last Wednesday (19) for the continuity of the government’s bidding which aims to grant the management of 33 public schools to private initiative. The decision was issued by the minister after a request from the Attorney General of the State of São Paulo. The bid, which occurred in mid -2024, aimed to build new school units in 29 cities of the state, with the expectation of creating about 35 thousand vacancies for students of the state network.
Previously, the São Paulo court had suspended the auction, but the Supreme Court considered that the suspension was not necessary. Minister Barroso stressed that disrupting contracts already signed could result in significant damage, including demobilization costs and delays in the delivery of new schools, expected to be completed between 2026 and 2027. In addition, the suspension could negatively impact the number of planned school vacancies, compromising access to education for thousands of students.
With the STF’s decision, the São Paulo government is authorized to resume the concession process. State management plans that the private company responsible for the administration of schools also takes care of construction and outsourced services, such as security. However, the pedagogical part will continue under the responsibility of the State Department of Education. This division of responsibilities aims to ensure that the quality of education is maintained, while infrastructure and support services are modernized and expanded.
*With information from Beatriz Manfredini
*Report produced with the aid of AI
