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PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN SANTA CRUZPrivate schools are called ‘colegios privados’ in Santa Cruz, although frequently people refer to them as ‘escuelas privadas’. Most people who can afford to do so, send their kids to one. Because the public school system is so undesirable, there are a great many private schools, however I have listed only the top ten. Some of these schools can be quite expensive but most are actually affordable. Entry requirements are strict and there are frequently waiting lists. Some require a one-time, non-refundable membership fee, then monthly payments. Some schools will not accept new students into elementary or high school unless they started at the school’s pre-school level. Exceptions are frequently made for foreign residents.
Although private, these schools must adhere to the government’s curriculum and the requirements of its educational reform, consisting of nationwide changes to the curriculum that all schools must follow minimally. They can, of course, offer additional classes that are not on that curriculum and many do. Even schools that conform to foreign curricular requirements, such as the Santa Cruz Cooperative School which runs on the U.S. school year and is accredited by the U.S., must also conform to the government’s minimum curriculum under this education reform. Be aware that many private schools have included the words American, bilingual, or English in their names. Most of these do are not American, nor is the education they provide fully bilingual, and some that do offer classes in English only, may not employ teachers whose English conforms to the standards of English or American schools. Most of these do not run on the U.S. school year either and are not accredited by the U.S. or other overseas education systems. Most Spanish-speaking private schools are Catholic schools, with a few exceptions. When choosing a school, if you plan to return to your country of origin, or send your kids to another country such as the U.S. for college, be sure to ask about their accreditation and make sure their curriculum conforms to the standards of the country you will eventually be returning to. The Santa Cruz Cooperative School and Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center are both excellent schools. Classes are taught completely in English and they are both accredited by the U.S. education system.
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