The Schools of Guanacaste
One of the most common subjects we're asked about is "What kind of school options exist around Tamarindo?" Most people are surprised to hear about the extensive and growing list of education options. To create a starting point, and help answer many of questions people have, we've put together a list.
Each of these schools is bilingual. None of them offer specific religious teaching, but each offers something different than the rest. We've put them together in the order of least to greatest ages served. There are links to each school's respective site for further information if you so desire.
Name: Guanacaste Waldorf School
Location: Canafistula
Ages they serve: Pre-Kindergarten (2.5-6 years old)–5th grade
Accreditation:
Tuition: $500-600 materials and fees, plus $500 donation, and then $300-400 monthly tuition.
Transportation Situation: They have an online forum for organizing ride share.
How they differentiate: (From their site) "The Steiner Waldorf early childhood approach takes as given the interdependence of physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cognitive development. It takes account of the whole child, including his/her soul qualities, and believes that children’s learning flourishes in a calm, peaceful, predictable, familiar and unhurried environment that recognizes the child’s sensory sensitivities... Mathematics and use of mathematical language, for example, might take place at the cooking table, where food is prepared (thinly sliced carrots make wonderful natural circles and have the added virtue of being able to be eaten later in soup!) and concepts such as addition and subtraction (or more or less), weight, measure, quantity and shape are grasped in a practical manner as part of daily life."
Name: Educarte By Saint Joseph
Location: Huacas
Ages they serve: Pre-maternal (10-months old-toddlers)-7th grade
Accreditation: Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica.
Tuition: $195-424 Entry fee, $195-375 per month plus materials, insurance. Other payment options avail.
Transportation Situation: There are busses but they are run by outside vendors.
How they differentiate: Educarte prides themselves on their commitment to the community. They use social responsibility to community and environment as their platform for teaching. Educate considers that they go beyond the basic Costa Rican standards of education by integrating music, arts, and sports into their education. Probably most notable is, compared to the other schools in the area, Educarte's prices are the lowest.
Name: Tide Academy
Location: Tamarindo, by the Auto Mercado in the commercial center.
Ages they serve: K-12
Accreditation: International Online Accreditation
Fees: $3,000 to $4,500 per year
Transportation Situation: Because Tide is in Tamarindo there is no specific bus.
How they differentiate: Tide offers more flexibility than the other schools. Their students are allowed to complete their education outside the school if necessary, per their partnership with The Global Village School. They accept short term and long-term students. The school is small so attention is very personalized. They have US College partnerships, and are involved in the community.
Name: La Paz Community School
Location: Playa Flamingo
Ages they serve: Preschool–12th grade
Accreditation: IB Accreditation, most internationally recognized accreditation
Tuition: $3,528 - $10,867 per year tuition and fees. This doesn’t include food, transportation, or other potential fees.
Transportation Situation: It’s available for a fee.
How they differentiate: La Paz actively seeks to create a learning environment of diversity, offering scholarships for less privileged youth of the surrounding community. Their core curriculum centers on critical thinking, so that students graduate with the ability not just to read and write, but to think independently.
Name: Costa Rica International Academy (CRIA)
Location: Playa Brasilito
Ages they serve: Early Years (2 year old)–12th grade
Accreditation: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) of the United States and the Ministerio de Educación Pública (MEP) of Costa Rica
Tuition: $1,800 to $7,800 per year, depending on the age of the student. There are monthly and semester payment options. This does not include transportation, books, uniform, and other potential fees.
Transportation Situation: There is a bus option, which is $693 for first semester, and $897 for second.
How they differentiate: CRIA is the only US Accredited School of the bunch. Above this accreditation they are an active partners with the College Board by offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses, PSAT and SAT testing with a college preparatory curriculum. CRIA is a member of Association of American Schools of Central America (AASCA), American Association of International Schools, Tri-Association of International Schools in Central America and the Caribbean. They are partnered with John Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, and the Northwest Evaluation Association.
Because this list is metamorphosing, and growing every year, you can expect we will need to refresh sometime next year. Until then, happy hunting, and may you find all the educational options encouraging. Please let Coldwell Banker of Tamarindo be of any help we can as you weigh your options. We are your Guanacaste and Costa Rica experts.
