Introduction

Starting over at a new duty station is challenging. You have to secure housing, find your way around a new area, and figure out where to send your kids for school or figure out what day cares or preschools are right for your children. And this is especially compounded when you move to another country with another language. Luckily, there will be no shortage of quality childcare and school options for your children in and around the Fort Buchanan area. See for yourself.

Related read:

Fort Buchanan: In-Depth Welcome Center

Puerto Rico School Enrollment

The Puerto Rico school system is based on the American model. To be enrolled in school in Puerto Rico, a child must be at least 5 years old by Aug. 31 of the current school year. Registration typically requires a birth certificate or other proof of the child’s age and the child’s previous school records and immunization records. Visit the Puerto Rico Departmento de Educaion website for more information. Check with individual schools for additional enrollment requirements prior to arriving.

Schools on Fort Buchanan

Children living on post can choose from three schools on post; an early childhood school for students in pre-K through fifth grade, a middle school for students in sixth through eighth grade and a high school for students in ninth through 12th grade. The on-post schools at Fort Buchanan are convenient for military families. Reach out to your School Liaison Officer for additional help or resources.

Fort Buchanan Elementary School

1. Antilles Elementary School

700 Santiago St. Fort buchanan, PR 00934

Phone

: 1 (787) 707-2364 Antilles Elementary School was built to facilitate 21st century learning, and contains the latest features in flexibility, adaptability, sustainability, and energy conservation. The facility is a two-floor structure with pre-K through second grade on the first floor, and third through fifth grade on the second floor.

Fort Buchanan Middle School

1. Antilles Middle School

1081 Patriot Blvd. Fort Buchanan, PR 00934

Phone

: 1 (787) 707-2461 Antilles Middle School is committed to providing an education that prepares students as thinkers, problem solvers and collaborators. The middle school provides an English-language education for the dependents of military and civilian federal employees in Puerto Rico.

Fort Buchanan High School

1. Antilles High School

1062 Victory Drive Fort Buchanan, PR 00934

Phone

: 1 (787) 707-2301 Antilles High School offers a rich variety of opportunities for all students to reach their academic and professional goals. Antilles High School graduates have been accepted to some of the most prestigious colleges, including Harvard, Yale and MIT.

Schools Near Fort Buchanan

Families that choose to live in off-post housing will enroll their children in the Department of Defense Education Activity schools on post. There is another DoDEA school on the Ramey Coast Guard base. There are other options off post as well.

Elementary Schools Near Fort Buchanan

Escuela Julio Selles Sola

Urb Villa Nevarez Calle 319, Esq. 20 San Juan, PR 00927

Phone

: 1 (787) 767-1333 Escuela Julio Selles Sola is a public school with nearly 700 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school is roughly 7 miles from Fort Buchanan’s main entrance. The school provides quality education for its students and has a lower than average student to teacher ratio of 13 to 1.

Middle Schools Near Fort Buchanan

Central Artes Visuales

1415 Ave. Ponce de Leon San Juan, PR 00907

Phone

: 1 (787) 723-8911 Central Artes Visuales puts an emphasis on learning through visual arts. Roughly 600 students in grades six through 12 are enrolled at the public school. The low student-teacher ratio helps foster strong relationships and provide more one-on-one attention.

High Schools Near Fort Buchanan

University Gardens Community High School

Notre Dame San Juan, PR 00927

Phone

: 1 (787) 764-5307 University Gardens Community High School specializes in science and mathematics. The school is run by the Puerto Rico Department of Education and is overseen by the Specialized Schools unit. The school has roughly 560 students in grades nine through 12.

Charter Schools Near Fort Buchanan

Charter schools are public schools of choice that are tuition-free, serve all students, and have open enrollment. Charter schools were previously illegal but that changed recently. There is currently one charter school in Puerto Rico; however, there are likely more popping up soon. For more information about charter schools in Puerto Rico, visit the Puerto Rico Departmento de Educaion’s website.

1. Vimenti

Final Residencial Ernesto Calle Ana Otero San Juan, PR 00924

Phone

: 1 (787) 772-4729

Private Schools Near Fort Buchanan

Parents who choose to send their children to a private school near Fort Buchanan are met with a lot of options. Programs are offered in both English and Spanish, and follow the same curricula as in the U.S. There are also professional and technical schools among them. Most of them offer special education as well. According to Niche, these are some of the best private schools in the San Juan area.

1. St. John’s School

1454 Ashford Ave. San Juan, PR 00907

Phone

: 1 (787) 238-6413 St. John's School was founded in 1915 and serves over 800 students in pre-K through 12th grade. The school receives high marks in diversity, academics, clubs and activities, and sports.

2. Commonwealth-Parkville School

Parkville Campus Parkville Alabama St. Guaynabo, PR 00969

Phone

: 1 (787) 720-3992 Commonwealth Campus 100 Castillo St. San Juan, PR 00918

Phone

: 1 (787) 765-4411 Commonwealth-Parkville School holds its nearly 700 pre-K through 12th grade students to a high academic and moral standard, serving them on two campuses. The school boasts small class sizes with a student-teacher ratio of 7 to 1.

3. Robinson School

5 Nairn St. San Juan, PR 00907

Phone

: 1 (787) 999-4600 Robinson School is a private, Christian school with around 640 students in pre-K through 12th grade. The school focuses on academics first, with 100% of graduates going on to attend a four-year college.

Day Cares Near Fort Buchanan

Leaving your child in someone else’s care is not an easy decision. When looking for the right day care facility, reading reviews on Care.com and Yelp and visiting a few options when possible is the best way to make a decision about where to send your child, especially with the potential language barrier. Or, if you’re looking to secure childcare on post at Fort Buchanan, there are different options to choose from. On-post child care centers offer full-day, part-day, and hourly care for your child.

Conclusion

Moving every few years can be difficult for you and your child but ensuring your child’s education is taken care of right away helps alleviate this burden. There are plenty of school options near (and on) Fort Buchanan to make sure your child’s mental and physical well-being will be well taken care of. Use the above information to help narrow down the choices so you can rest easy and spend your time on something else, like exploring beautiful Puerto Rico by land or sea.