Ciudad Juarez - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There are international schools here, but the majority opt to send their kids to schools in El Paso. - Feb 2023
Many parents send their kids to school in El Paso. There are a few local Mexican schools that people like. - Mar 2022
Parents can send their children to private school in Mexico or to public or private in the US. Both options have buses from the housing. It seems people are generally happy with the options, although the schools in the US have a significant daily commute. I can’t speak to the education quality. - Jun 2019
There are no international schools. All have pros and cons: CDJ instruction is in Spanish with no support for non-speakers. A good option for the young, due to the short commute but English instruction (even in “bilingual” schools) is inadequate and academics are variable. El Paso public schools are very large with many extracurricular activities. Some children have to repeat grades when they return to Washington D.C. El Paso private schools are small (to very small) with no to few extracurriculars. Bridges Academy (for kids with special needs), El Paso Country Day (for kids needing an accelerated curriculum) and Loretto/ Radford (religious) are all popular. All El Paso choices have a commute time of roughly 3 hours daily. - Feb 2019
This is the worst part about this post. There are no good options. There are no international schools or schools accredited by any American accrediting bodies. There are local Mexican schools that people use in Juarez, but the trade-off for a short commute is quality. Also, if your child doesn't speak Spanish the Juarez schools are not set-up to help the child learn Spanish even if the school is bilingual. Many schools are available in El Paso including access to excellent public schools, but the commute is over an hour each way on motor pool. - Jan 2019
There are no international schools at this post. You have the option of using private Mexican schools or shuttling your kids to El Paso for a private American school. Separate Maintenance Allowance (SMA) is an option right now, and a few families choose to live in El Paso and attend public school.
There are currently six different private schools in Juarez with consulate children attending them. The schools vary: some are small, some are large, some are Montessori, some are Catholic, some are bilingual, some are all-day Spanish, and one is all-day English. It is not uncommon to choose a school and then change your mind and switch your kids to a different one.
Typically, those with high schoolers choose to send their kids across the border to El Paso every day, and those with preschoolers and elementary school kids keep their kids in Juarez. Middle schoolers are a mix of both. We did recently learn that there is one high school here in Juarez that can offer a diploma recognized by the US, but it is also part university, so your high schoolers would be on campus with college kids. - Jun 2016
I did not have a child in school. Some kids go to a private school in Juarez, others go to school in El Paso. - Apr 2016
There are no international schools, per se, in Ciudad Juarez. There are, however, several excellent bilingual schools and I think at least one English-only Montessori (I have no direct knowledge of that school). School in El Paso is also an option, and the Consulate provides transportation to El Paso schools, as well. There are several very good private schools in El Paso (Radford, St. Clements, Loretto, and Cathedral - for older boys - come to mind). Colegio Milema, Colegio Ibero, Colegio Americano, and Colegio San Patricio are all bilingual schools attended by Consulate kids in Juarez. Comunidad Kari Montessori is a small school with 100% Spanish instruction attended by a significant number of Consulate children. We have one child at San Patricio (a very good, very structured bilingual school) and one at Kari and we're happy with both schools. There are so many good school options here I feel it's easy to find a school that fits each child well. - Dec 2015
Many children attend bilingual schools in town, or travel to El Paso for school. - Aug 2015
I believe school-aged children go to school in El Paso at this point in time. - Jun 2013
Some U.S. Consulate kids go to a local, bilingual school that parents have been happy with. Others are bused across the border to private schools in El Paso. Still others live in El Paso on SMA and attend public school there. There are options for every family. The consulate provides transportation to both sides of the border. Children attending school in El Paso cannot pack their lunch because of restrictions on fresh foods crossing the border. - Sep 2012
There are 3 schools that I know of in Juarez: 1 is bilingual, 1 is bilingual Catholic, and 1 is all Spanish Montessori. There are many schools to choose from in El Paso. You can send your children to a public school of your choosing or private schools. Post will pay for any of these schooling options. The most popular private schools are: Radford, Loretto (Catholic - all girls after 5th grade) and Cathedral High (Catholic - all boys). We choose to use a school here in Juarez. - Feb 2012
The consulate runs an armored shuttle to take kids over to schools in El Paso. A couple of families have kids in school in Juarez and one has sent their child to boarding school in another part of the US. - Jul 2011
No first hand experiance. I know kids are sent to both schools in El Paso and in Juarez and Consulate provides transportation. - Jun 2011
We have no experience with the international schools. Some people use them, others send their children to schools in El Paso. - Mar 2009
