This is the 508th most frequent Spanish word.
públicas
"Public" or "pertaining to the public."
Here, 'públicas' qualifies 'escuelas', indicating that the schools are open to the general public and government-funded.
Las escuelas públicas en mi ciudad son muy buenas.
The public schools in my city are very good.
Here, 'públicas' pertains to 'reuniones', emphasizing that the meetings are accessible to all citizens.
Las reuniones públicas son esenciales para la democracia.
Public meetings are essential for democracy.
In this sentence, 'públicas' describes 'declaraciones', suggesting that the statements were intended for the general population.