This is the 558th most frequent Portuguese word.
públicas
"Public" (feminine plural form).
Here, 'públicas' functions as an adjective describing 'escolas', indicating that the schools are part of the public sector.
As escolas públicas oferecem educação gratuita.
Public schools provide free education.
Here, 'públicas' describes 'declarações', denoting that the statements were made openly or for the audience.
As declarações públicas do político causaram controvérsia.
The politician's public statements caused controversy.
In this instance, 'públicas' modifies 'informações', signifying that the information is meant for the public domain.