Schools and Education
For families looking to settle in Santa Cruz, there are international and bilingual private schools close by, including:
Guanacaste Waldorf School
Located in the town of Hernandez only 20 minutes from Santa Cruz, this center specializes in early education for children from Pre-K to 6th grade in a natural and nurturing setting. Waldorf schools are extremely popular abroad, yet rare in Costa Rica; families who live in Santa Cruz are lucky to be able to send their kids of one of the few of this type in the country. Academics are important, and a focus is placed on enjoying learning and taking advantage of the simple things in life, such as story-telling, songs, and nature walks.
Lakeside International School
This international bilingual private school offers an exceptional educational experience from Pre-K to 12th grade and is 30 minutes outside of Santa Cruz. Students here work not only in the classroom but also in the community. The school’s comprehensive curriculum works to adapt to each student’s individual learning style rather than teaching to one single learning ability.
La Paz Community School
About 45 minutes away in Flamingo Beach, this private, non-profit school boasts Pre-K through 12th grade experiential educations. An authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) world school, a rigorous academic program is to be expected here but the students also learn to work together to improve creativity, compassion, and seek to be responsible global leaders. The school also offers a number of extra curricular activities geared to individual interests.
