Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School

The Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School (formerly Sergio Ramírez de Arellano-Hostos Regional Bilingual Secondary School) is a bilingual secondary school in Añasco, in the United States insular area of Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Department of Education operates the school.

All classes except Spanish and Social Studies are instructed in English. The total student population sums to be approximately 250. This was the first secondary bilingual school on the island, and part of the only fully bilingual K-12 system of a municipality of Puerto Rico.

School and community

The school receives students from the entire western region of Puerto Rico, not just from the town it operates. Students from this school do generally well, and known for typically being the only school in Añasco to pass the Puerto Rican Tests of Academic Achievement administered yearly by the Department of Education. In numerous cases, students are admitted into schools like the Residential Center for Educative Opportunities of Mayagüez as well. To form part of the school, prospect students must go through an admissions process and take a standardized test, provided by the College Board.

Accreditation

Accreditation is obtained from the General Council of Education of Puerto Rico for six years.

Admissions

Due to the academic nature of the school, students must apply and pass a standardized test to be considered. The admissions process is available to students from across the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and is open for all grades, from 7th grade to 12th grade.

Students that applied for the middle school portion of the school must reapply for the high school portion, and are subject to the admissions process once again. Current students have preferred status during the admissions process.

Location

The school was located in the urban center of the town of Añasco, close to nearby points of interest like the Catholic church of Añasco and City Hall. In 2003, the Hostos building had its 100th anniversary. The event was celebrated schoolwide, with broadcasts from the local media. The 100th anniversary for the Ramirez de Arellano Building was held in 2009.

Starting in the 2016-2017 academic year, the school moved to a newly displaced building a few blocks away from the old one. The previous tenants and its students moved to the adjacent school, Isabel Suarez Middle School.

Student organizations

• Math Club (no longer active)
• Library Assistants (no longer active)
• Industrial Arts Club (no longer active)
• History Club (no longer active)
• Chess Club
• Club 4H Urayo (no longer active as of August 2013)

Schedule controversy

At the beginning of the Fall 2007 semester a controversy awakened in the school. The Añasco School District Superintendent, Sylvia Hernandez, made a new school schedule and ordered the school to use it. This schedule had more class hours, which due to the limited size of the school and the lack of teachers, was impossible to implement. Following a strike by the students, parents and faculty, and meetings with Sup. Hernandez, the schedule was annulled and the school returned to normality.

2013 student exodus

At the start of the Fall 2013 semester, most of the students in various grades were dropping out from the school because, among other things, the lack of transportation (most students are from the surrounding municipalities like Mayagüez, Aguada, Rincón and Moca). Therefore, the school was obligated to do a special admissions process, letting anyone that wanted to enroll do so, or staff cuts would've been made. All needed was a students credit transcription and to pass an oral interview in both English and Spanish, with the respecting teachers from the school.

External links

• Puerto Rico Department of Education
• Noel Galloza, Ramírez-Hostos School Industrial Arts Teacher
• Janet Nieves, Ramírez-Hostos English Teacher

Alumni Websites

• Aida Yoguely's Website - Class of 2007