Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School Escuela Especializada Bilingüe Alcides Figueroa
Location
Calle María Monagas Carreras , Añasco , 00610 Puerto Rico
Coordinates	18°16′56″N 67°08′17″W / 18.282304°N 67.137946°W / 18.282304; -67.137946
Information
Former name	Escuela Especializada Regional Bilingüe Sergio Ramírez de Arrellano-Hostos
Type	Bilingual, magnet secondary school
Motto	La Bilingüe lo hace mejor (English: "The Bilingual does it better")
Established	August 1999; 26 years ago (1999-08)
Status	Currently operational
School district	Puerto Rico Department of Education
NCES District ID	7200030
School number	40519 (Puerto Rico Department of Education Number) (formerly 40832)
School code	1602 (Use is limited to the PAA college-entry exams in Puerto Rico) (formerly 1061)
CEEB code	540010 (formerly 545008)
NCES School ID	720003000781
Principal	Edna S. Rosa Ayala
Faculty	23
Grades	6 – 12
Gender	Coeducational
Enrollment	348 (2019–2020)
• Grade 6	47
• Grade 7	55
• Grade 8	70
• Grade 9	47
• Grade 10	43
• Grade 11	37
• Grade 12	41
Average class size	25 students
Student to teacher ratio	15.13 : 1
Education system	K–12 System
Language	English and Spanish
Schedule type	Traditional Scheduling
Schedule	7:30 a.m – 2:30 p.m.
Hours in school day	Seven hours
Campus size	45.48 km2 (11.24 acres)
Campus type	Urban
Mascot	Wolf
Nickname	La Bilingüe Alcides
Rivals	CROEM Luis Muñoz Marín High School (Añasco)
Accreditation	Puerto Rico Education Council
Feeder schools	Antonio Gonzalez Suarez Regional Bilingual Elementary School
Feeder to	University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Website	Official page: https://www.facebook.com/bilingue.ramirezhostos

The Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School is a special school in Añasco, Puerto Rico. It used to be called the Sergio Ramírez de Arellano-Hostos Regional Bilingual Secondary School. This school is a bilingual and magnet secondary school.

It is managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Education. Alcides is part of their Specialized Schools Unit. Most classes are taught in English. Only language classes like French, Italian, and Spanish, plus social studies, are taught in other languages.

About 348 students attend the school. It was the first public secondary bilingual school in Puerto Rico. Together with the Antonio González Suárez Bilingual School (K–5), it forms the only fully bilingual K-12 school system in a Puerto Rico municipality. The school often scores very high on important tests given by the College Board in Puerto Rico.

School History

The school started in 1999. It was first located in buildings named after Sergio Ramírez de Arrellano y Conti and Eugenio María de Hostos. These old buildings were in Añasco's downtown area. They were some of the first concrete schools built in Añasco.

The original school buildings were recognized for their important architecture. They were added to the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2002. Later, in 2017, they were also added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Moving to a New Building

In the 2016–17 school year, the school moved to a new building. This new location was a few blocks away from the old one. The move allowed the school to add the sixth grade. It also helped increase the number of students.

When the school moved, its name changed to Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School. Schools in Puerto Rico are often named after the buildings they use. The new building is named after Alcides Figueroa Oliva. He was a former mayor of Añasco.

The old school buildings are now used for municipal sports and art programs. One of these is Ciudad Museo ("Museum City"). This project uses urban art to help communities.

School Uniform Changes

During the 2018–2019 school year, the school decided to change its uniform. Students voted to choose the new designs. The old middle school uniform was a yellow polo with black pants. High schoolers wore a white polo with red pants.

As of May 1, 2020, the new uniforms were introduced. Middle school students now wear a navy blue polo and grey pants. High school students wear a red polo and grey pants.

Dealing with Natural Events

The school has faced challenges from natural events. After Hurricane María in 2017, the school had water damage and mold. It reopened on November 6, 2017. Students later wrote poems about their experiences during and after the hurricane.

In late 2019 and early 2020, earthquakes affected Puerto Rico. Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School had to close temporarily. It was inspected and found safe. Classes resumed on February 6, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic also affected the school. Teachers received training for online teaching. The school held college admissions exams in person in December 2020. In-person classes fully resumed on May 13, 2021.

School Community

How Students Get In

Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School is an academic school. Students who want to attend must apply and pass a special test. Students from all over Puerto Rico can apply for grades 6 through 12.

The school holds open houses in December and January. Then, students submit their applications in January and February. This includes their school records and an application for the PIENSE test. The PIENSE test is given by the College Board. It checks students' knowledge in English, Spanish, and math.

There are two versions of the test: PIENSE I for grades 6–8 and PIENSE II for grades 9–12. After the test, applicants have an interview with Spanish and English teachers. The school's admissions committee reviews everything. Getting a high score does not guarantee a spot. Admission depends on how many spaces are open in each grade.

Students who attend middle school at Alcides and want to continue to high school must reapply. They go through the high school admissions process. However, current students get special consideration during this process.

School Achievements

Students at Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School come from all over western Puerto Rico. They are known for doing very well academically. The school is often the only one in Añasco to pass the Puerto Rican Tests of Academic Achievement (META-PR).

In the 2009–2010 school year, Alcides was the public high school in Puerto Rico with the most gifted students in the Advanced Placement Program. In 2016, the school was recognized for having the highest percentage of students with a 4.0 GPA. This means 41% of their senior students had excellent grades.

In 2017, three students from Alcides had some of the top 30 scores on the College Board University admissions test across Puerto Rico. In 2018, two students from Alcides were among the top ten highest scorers. The school also performed the best on the META-PR tests that year.

The school has won awards for various projects. In 2019, it won the Director's Award for the NASA Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium's "Veggies in Space" program. For the 2018–19 school year, Alcides was rated the top high school out of 205 in Puerto Rico. The school also has one of the lowest student dropout rates in Puerto Rico.

Student Clubs and Groups

The school offers many different clubs for students:

• Future NASA Scientists and Engineers Club: Started in 2019.
• Medicine Club: Connected to the Hispanic Center for Excellence at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.
• Library Assistants Club: Started in 2019.
• Theater Club: Started in 2022.

Connection with UPRM

Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School is close to the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM). Many graduates from Alcides go on to study there. Between 2016 and 2022, 114 graduates enrolled at UPRM.

Alcides students often join camps, competitions, and conferences at UPRM. These include:

• Cinco Días con Nuestra Tierra: An agricultural fair.
• CREST: A summer camp and research program focused on nanotechnology.
• Mechanical Engineering Summer Camp: Helps high school students learn about mechanical engineering.
• National Crystallization Competition: Students grow crystals and explain their methods.
• PR Weather Camp: Teaches students about weather and environmental sciences.
• Sea Grant Program: Workshops on marine ecosystems and field trips.
• Summer Transportation Institute: Explores careers in the transportation industry.
• UPR Summer School: Offers classes in Math and English, plus workshops and sports.

School Facilities

School logo used at entrance of the school campus

The school has several facilities for students:

• Athletic track
• Basketball court
• Small central plaza with a basketball hoop
• Cafeteria
• Library

The Office for the Management of Public Buildings (OMEP) is responsible for keeping the school grounds in good condition. The school also serves as a polling place for elections in Añasco. It is considered a "critical facility" for water supply.

In 2019, a report found that the school had a high risk of soil liquefaction (when soil acts like a liquid during an earthquake). However, it had a low chance of landslides and no chance of flooding. Despite this, the school has experienced significant flooding in the past. A 2019 report noted that water often runs from the roof into hallways when it rains. The patio can flood quickly, making it hard for students to enter classrooms without getting wet.

School Leadership

Principals

Notable Teachers

• Ramón Morales Rivera: A Spanish teacher and Head teacher.
• Roberto L. Díaz Díaz: A high school Math teacher. He has helped develop math guides for the Department of Education.

Images for kids

• 

  The Specialized Schools Unit's logo, the Department of Education's magnet school division.

See also

In Spanish: Escuela Especializada Alcides Figueroa para niños