Schools

Please check out Robinson School in the Condado.  Founded in 1902, they are PPK-12, and on their way to becoming the Island's first International Baccalaureate School.  They are the only English-language school in PR with a boarding school and currently have at least one student from Brazil.

I found that Robinson did not meet the needs of my kids - many of their AP courses for high school are distance learning, not in person.  I also looked at TASIS in Dorado and St. John.  I loved the academic program at ST John, although their facilities are not the best. TASIS has a beautiful campus but I didn't feel like the high school was well established enough for my kids - they are on their 4th graduating class. I think their elementary program is pretty good though, if you want to live outside the city. We ended up choosing St. Johns and they will start after the semester break!

Where are you going to live?  We just did the same thing this past summer and unless you are willing to fight horrible traffic, I think proximity to your home would be a guiding factor.  Also...how much are you willing to spend?  The schools vary greatly in cost.

I have looked at most of the main private schools, tasis, Robinson, parkville, etc.  we will live near whatever school we decide upon.  My husband can work from anywhere so it doesn't matter.  I realized tuition is quite pricey.   Are there any schools that are better than others for kids moving from the states?

I think the Baldwin School is considered the best school in the country and they are full English.  But I think their tuition is over $15000.  We were about to enter the American Military Academy (right beside the Baldwin School), but at Orientation, we had bad experience with a couple of the teachers (one said she was not there to babysit our child - just not a caring person and not someone we wanted our sensitive child to be around).  So then we scrambled to find another school at the last minute (after visiting a dozen or so schools a few months prior).  We ended up at a school called Leadership Christian Academy (LCA)(non-denominational).  They use a home-school format for their materials, but the classes are still taught by teacher.  It is affordable ($4000+ range), air conditioned and we found the staff to be caring.  Also close to where we live.  But.....there are no outside sports facilities or playgrounds, so if that is important to you, this would not be a good option.  Honestly......there are dozens and dozens of schools to choose from.  The "better" ones (as far a facilities are concerned) are almost all more than $10000 a year.  But there are lots to choose from - in Guaynabo/Cupey area - you have Wesleyan Academy, Cupeyville School, LCA, St. Mary's, Parkville, Maria Reina Academy, AMA, girls school behind the AMA (forgot the name), Baldwin, PuertoRican school for girls,  etc. 
But you said your husband was working from home - so why move here?  If I had the choice, I would stay in the U.S. for dozens of reasons which you can read on various blogs here (crime, cost of living, medical care, driving amongst a bunch of self-indulged idiots, cost of electricity, etc...etc).

Thank you for the list of schools.  I have contacted a few already and have looked at additional info that was not on their websites.  We are choosing to move the PR because we are interested in a new way of life.  We live in a very nice community in the midwest where the people are mostly friendly.  My husband has a business in Panama so he is there often and we have traveled there as a family quite a bit.  We have always felt comfortable around that culture and the more laid back way of life.  My kids easily combine with many different types of people and are very excited about our new adventure.  We plan on making the move and commit to a year.  If it isnt' for us we will still have our home back here so we will head back.  If not, we will stay.  I think taking a leap into the mostly unknown is exciting and it will teach our kids that the "bubble" we currently live in isn't necessarily the way everyone lives. 
As far as the crime, cost of living, medical care and driving in PR could be similar to what we have experienced in Panama.  Although Panama is not a U.S. territory so the English is spoken a lot less.  We will be down in a few months to check out schools and places to live.  Right now looking outside as I see the cold, hear the wind, and have had a lack of sunshine for the last 2 weeks...I am anxiously awaiting our new adventure!!  that being said, please include all the good bad and ugly if you choose to post again.  I like to read about everything I can so I know what to expect.  Thanks!!

I would choose Panama.   Especially if that is where your husband has to travel to work.  The roads are much better in Panama.  Just a guess, but I think crime is lower in Panama.  Cost of living would be a lot lower in Panama!!!!  I enjoyed Panama much more than P.R., although I have never lived there, just visited.  I have lived in Argentina (2 years), Bolivia (1 year) and Ecuador (6 months), so I have seen plenty of different latino cultures.  Just not a big fan of P.R. after 6 months here.

Panama is also a consideration because we know it so well.  curious, besides what you have already mentioned..why do you not like PR?

Probably driving anywhere is the worst issue.  If you get in your car, expect to be cutoff multiple times each trip.  Also expect everyone round you to disobey every known traffic law.  If there is only one turn lane, people will use the straight lane and make an illegal turn as if there were two turn lanes.  And this just causes the people in the legal turn lane to stop and wait for the illegal driver, which means many times you will have to wait at a traffic light through 2 cycles because of the impatience and total disregard of traffic laws by the Puerto Ricans (not all Puerto Ricans of course).  Turn signals are not used.  If you use your turn signal, it is a sign to the driver in the next lane to speed up so as to not allow you entry.  Roads are in horrible shape with potholes everywhere.  Lanes will just end here with no notice of a lane ending or merging.  People will just pull out from side streets in front of you and make you stop for them, instead of waiting for traffic to clear.  People park in the streets here and on the sidewalks and the police do nothing.  Most neighborhoods have been fenced in and have guard gates to deny entry to non-residents - even though they are not private neighborhoods.  So you can't run/ride in them.  So if you want to go jogging or bike riding, you have to do it on major roads or sidewalks beside major roads.  And on some roads, they turns ex-neighborhoods into commercial districts, so people now park on those sidewalks and if you walk or run, you have to do so in and around these cars and watch out for cars backing up or entering.  It is all just super dangerous.  The far left lane here is not for fast drivers - it is for sightseeing.  Honestly....there is just zero consideration for anyone other than themselves.  Also...I bought a car here and I ended up having to pay over $700 in fines because the previous owner didn't pay his Expresso or parking fines.  And here in PR, the licence plate transfers with the car - and hence the debt.  So I had to assume another persons personal debt.  I went to civil court and won, but now I must hire an attorney to help me get the money.  Going to the Doctor is an all day event  It doesn't matter at what time your appointment is listed, you will wait hours and hours.  And the quality of care is very poor.  They just had an article in the paper here about the poor quality of care.  Parking is a nightmare everywhere and everyone will charge you for parking.  Food and drink is expensive - milk is $6 a gallon, a 6-pack of Sam Adams will cost you over $10, fruits and veggies are sky high, even though you would think they would be cheap here since you can grow almost anything here.  Our Electric bill last month was over $400 and we live in a relatively small apartment and only use the A/C in the bedrooms at night and in the living area at day (on 82 deg).  This is over twice what we paid back home.  Back to the neighborhoods being gated - that is because of the high rate of crime.  And there are lots of murders here - mostly because of drugs/ drug trafficking.  But everyone will tell you not to take anything of value with you to the beach and don't leave anything of value in your car - EVER.  Honestly....I could go on and on, but you get the point.  Also......Puerto Ricans are fleeing from Puerto Rico for many of the above reasons and the lack of any real jobs here.  It is estimated that 60,000 will emigrate to the mainland U.S. this year.

What are the ages of your kids and why not consider a Spanish-language private school? In January we will be putting our daughter in a Montesorri school in Santurce. We visited in the fall & it seemed excellent, but I believe they only go through 3rd grade. If you are there in part for the cultural experience, then this could be a valuable part of it. If they are young enough it is the perfect time to learn a new language. The cost will also be significantly lower as a consequence of making that decision.

In spite of hilburno's cautionary words, if you have the genuine appreciation that you are moving to Latin America (with all that this entails - for better & worse), and not another state in the union, and if you do not need a job (!), for instance because you can work remotedly, then you'll be fine. Due to the very high rates of emigration from Puerto Rico to the mainland some things, such as the price of real estate, are actually much cheaper than the States.

My kids are going to be 3rd grade and 5th grade so I think a Spanish speaking school to start with will not be the direction we will be going.  I want them to learn Spanish and do their best to speak it as their second language.  That is one reason for the move amongst many of course. 

I'm ok with the cautionary words. I know that this forum will be full of different experiences and that is why I am here.  I know moving will be a huge change and adjustment and it is something we plan on taking regardless.  We are pretty used to Latin American culture so luckily that won't be a huge shocker.  Although, I know visiting will be different than living on the island.  We have spent quite some time in Panama but it is not someplace we want to call home thus the reason for choosing PR.  My husband can and will work remotely so in that case we are lucky to be able to do the move. 

Why are Puerto Rican's moving to the US at such a high rate?  Is it the ecomony?

marathomama wrote:

Why are Puerto Rican's moving to the US at such a high rate?  Is it the ecomony?

You hit the nail on the head.

They just did a survey in the paper [El Nuevo Dia] asking that same question of Puerto Ricans that had recently emigrated to the U.S. and the number one reason why they moved was "Quality of Life".  It was from the edition - Saturday, Dec 13 - pages 30-31.  Here is the breakdown on the reasons:

1) Higher quality of life - 46%
2) Personal Economic Situation - 28%
3) Has a job in Florida - 5%
4) High crime rate (escaping from) - 5%
5) Other reason - 5%
6) Professional advancement - 4%
7) no job - 3%
8) Cheaper to live in U.S. - 2%
9) family in U.S. - 2%


Also.....Anolis says housing is cheaper here, but I have not found that to be the case.  I guess that depends on where you are moving from.  It you live in a major metropolitan area, or maybe California, then maybe it is cheaper here.  Be we moved from a 2600 sq ft house to an apartment less than 1000 sq ft and our rent is higher here than was our mortgage in Mass.  And all utilities are much higher.  Perhaps it is cheaper outside of the metro area.  And I will say that I really like the western side of the island.  But unfortunately we must live in San Juan.  If you don't have to live in San Juan, why not look at Isabella or Aguadilla or Rincon?  They have an International airport in Aquadilla and the quality of life is much better on that side of the island.  But they still have high crime.  But less traffic and a more laid back lifestyle.  And I know I have been negative, but I do love the weather (except when I get my electric bill),

hilburno wrote:

Just not a big fan of P.R. after 6 months here.

That much is clear, yes. How long do you plan to (have to) stay?

Yes, the economic situation in Puerto Rico has been going downhill since the end of tax incentives in 2006. The unemployment is officially about 14% (compared to 6% in the States), but that only counts those people looking for work. The true labor force participation rate is estimated to be around 40%. This only accounts, of course, for reported labor - there is a large, untaxed, underground economy.

There is also high crime in Puerto Rico that is mostly due to the drug trade. Factors that underlie movement of the drug trade to the Caribbean, and specifically Puerto Rico, are complex - however my best guess is that concerted anti drug policies have caused the drug trafficking routes to move over the past two decades, and disproportionately now to Puerto Rico. Once drugs enter Puerto Rico they are on U.S. soil.

Both the bad state of the economy and increased violence on the island have contributed to substantial emigration. Of course, Puerto Rican's are all U.S. citizens, which means immigrating to the U.S. is as trivial as getting on a plane. Interestingly, statistics show that it is (generally, of course this has wide variability) less educated Puerto Ricans who emigrate, leaving behind disproportionately more better educated Puerto Ricans. This is thought to be because employment opportunities (though bad for everyone) are particularly poor for Puerto Ricans without higher degrees.

That all said, in my opinion Puerto Rico is an amazing place. Many areas are very safe and the violent crime rate was lower this year than in recent years. I'm not sure about the long term prospects for economic improvement. Puerto Rico has always been poor compared to U.S. states. However recent numbers suggest that perhaps there is some evidence that the improving U.S. and global economies are beginning to have a positive effect in Puerto Rico.

BTW - I do not live full time in Puerto Rico. I am employed in the U.S., but I have been doing work in Puerto Rico for over a decade now. If given the right opportunity, or if I could work remotedly full time, I would consider moving down permanently.

hilburno wrote:

Be we moved from a 2600 sq ft house to an apartment less than 1000 sq ft and our rent is higher here than was our mortgage in Mass.  And all utilities are much higher.  Perhaps it is cheaper outside of the metro area.

It is. Around here you can rent a simple 4 bedroom 2 bath house for 400 bucks.

hilburno wrote:

And I know I have been negative, but I do love the weather (except when I get my electric bill),

A/C is needed in the city, I agree. Where I live we only use fans. I just changed into long pants and a sweat shirt.

2 years

hilburno wrote:

Anolis says housing is cheaper here, but I have not found that to be the case.  I guess that depends on where you are moving from.

True enough. I'm biased because I live in a major U.S. city that I don't particularly care for, but that is nonetheless very expensive! It is true that emigration and the excess of real estate inventory have driven home prices way down relative to their earlier levels. It is of course still quite expensive to buy in very exclusive areas. I'm not sure how the economic situation has affected rental prices. Ironically, sometimes a bad economy can increase rents (rather than decrease them) because people cannot afford to buy and this creates increased demand for rentals.

hilburno wrote:

2 years

If I were in your position I'd try to start to see the positive sides of living here. 18 months can last very long if you're not happy...

Gary wrote:

A/C is needed in the city, I agree. Where I live we only use fans. I just changed into long pants and a sweat shirt.

Yes, the cities are hot because of the high proportion of built areas. Concrete absorbs high and re-radiates it which prevents natural cooling at night. If homes were built for natural shading and to better take advantage of the sea breezes A/C would be much less necessary as it seldom gets hotter than the high 80s in San Juan. (Unfortunately, they seldom are!)

In the mountains (even just above 1000ft or so) it can be positively chilly at night.

I'm still waiting on a reply from St Johns, are the fees similar to Baldwin/Robinson? Have your kids started school there yet? Thanks so much.

We are going down mid January to tour through schools. I also haven't hear back from St. John so I figure I'll give them a call before I go.  I have heard from parkville and have all of their info.  We will choose the place we live depending on the school.  In what area are you living? How old are your kids? Mine are 10 & 8.

If your location will be dependent upon the school you choose for your children, perhaps you might want to look at the Palmas Academy in the Palmas del Mar community in Humacao.  It is a PK-12 school with providing instruction in English.  With no other knowledge of the school, I've been impressed by the website.  This is not a recommendation, just a school name I haven't seen mentioned in discussions about schools.

We really aren't sure of the area we'll live as yet, however we're very much considering Bayamon or Guaynabo. There seem to be plenty of great schools in those areas, plus we know some great people there. For us, it would be like having an extended family. I have two boys, 3 & 5, our friends have two kids, they're 4 & 6 and their kids are starting a private Christian school (Colegio Emmanuel) in the new year, that they're very impressed with. The mom runs Montessori de la Aldea that goes up to 4, so my youngest will likely start there initially, plus it's next door to the other school that my eldest could possibly go to with her kids. It will likely make the transition easier for my kids having people they're familiar with, however I'm not necessarily a fan of another school move, so I'm looking at all the possibilities. We'll all be in Puerto Rico and the BVI in April/May, so we can take a look then. I'm just anxious to get a shortlist going.
By the way, have you looked into healthcare? When do you plan to move there? Thanks marathomama & just limin for your input. The Palmas Academy looks great, however my hubby is needs to be not far from SJU or Isle Grande.

I have not looked into healthcare yet but it is on my long list:) we will be down in January but would like our kids to finish their school year here and then head to Puerto Rico.  Schools are really my main concern right now. My husband can work from anywhere so that doesn't limit us.  He does have an office in panama so it would be nice to be fairly close to an airport.  Can I ask why you guys are moving to Puerto Rico?  We are because we are ready to change our way of life.  It's something we have talked about for a very long time and we are now ready.  I can't wait and the kids are ready to go now!!!

Your way of life will change for sure. As for healthcare, there are many past posts on this forum that are quite informative on this subject. I'd suggest reading through them.

Albeit that our visa goes through, we aim to be there in August or just before the start of the school year. We've been in Toronto for 2 years now and we're missing the warmth and a better quality of life for our family. My husband is a pilot and he'll be working for the company he left, back in 2012. We left Tortola in 2010 to try out BC and after 6 months, went back. The Caribbean has a huge pull on us! The longest we've spent in Puerto Rico is 3 months, however most of that for me was spent in the hospital, 7 weeks in fact when I had my second child 7 weeks early. Thanks to the amazing Dr's at Pavia in Santurce, they saved my life and my baby was saved by the most amazing Neonatologist at Pavia. My experience introduced us to so many wonderful people and I'll be so happy to see these amazing people more often. Moving to a place where you know people, will certainly make this transition easier for us.
I'm completely aware of the challenges living in the Caribbean has. I lived in Tortola, BVI for close to 8 years so living in Puerto Rico will be pretty similar, if not easier than it was in Tortola.
My husband was trying to convince me to live in Panama actually, however I was never really drawn to it, I think Puerto Rico will definitely be a better choice for us. It will be so nice to not be shut in's in the winter and have to get my kids in snow suits each morning.
Thanks GreggK, I'll investigate the forums on healthcare more. Our insurance broker we used in Tortola for 8 years, has some contacts in Puerto Rico, so hopefully he'll get back to us soon with some answers. I'm just anxious to know what our expenses are going to be per month. It's all well and good having cheaper rent, however it may soon be swallowed up by healthcare and electricity bills.
Thanks everyone.

My kids are scheduled to start with St John in 2 weeks. Hopefully it will be a good experience, as I was very impressed when I was checking them all out. The fees are similar to Baldwin.