Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. We have been a legal Costa Rican foundation in January 2019. The DMA Foundation is the umbrella of Del Mar Academy and our Guardians of Nature initiative. The goal of the DMA Foundation is to better the world through education, specifically through sustainable development goals. Our Guardians of Nature initiative visualizes a world in which children identify themselves as guardians of our natural resources, catalyzing an intergenerational change that helps solve the environmental problems of communities around the planet. We help bring environmental education and actionable projects into Costa Rica’s public school system and communities by focusing on student projects, teacher training and curriculum, and green campuses, as well as collaborating with the government, private sector, and civil society on building impactful environmental initiatives together.

  • For the 2022-2023 school year, Del Mar Academy was composed of about 267 students, 30% of whom were Costa Rican nationals, and more than a third of whom are what might be considered culturally and linguistically Costa Rican.  Among the international families, more than 25 nationalities are represented. Those countries include families from North America, South America, all over Europe and even as far away as Tanzania, Australia and New Zealand. We are proud to be a school that is both firmly rooted in the local community and enriched by a broad range of cultures from around the globe.

    Our outstanding international teachers and administrative staff include professionals from 11 different countries including Costa Rica, Spain, England, France, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Colombia, USA, and Venezuela. All faculty are certified in Montessori or IB, and have an average of 10 years of teaching experience. Five of our faculty possess either PhD or double masters degrees, 60% of possess a master’s degree, and 90% of our faculty are bilingual. 

  • Yes. Our programs are fully accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education (MEP). We are also an authorized IB World School offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in grades 11 and 12 and in candidacy for the IB Middle Years Programme in grades 7 to 10. These internationally recognized programs challenge students to think critically, make real-world connections, and prepare for success at leading universities worldwide.

    We encourage you to carefully consider the accreditation of international schools you may be considering for your child. Accreditation is critical not only as an assurance of school quality, but also as a validation of school records should you decide to move your child from a school in Nosara to another school in Costa Rica or another country. Students who have left Del Mar Academy have consistently met or exceeded learning expectations in other international schools.

  • Yes, please! We find that families enjoy seeing the Del Mar Academy campus, especially during school hours when the students and staff are present on our 11 acre indoor-outdoor campus. We also welcome you to schedule an observation in one of our classrooms for a more in-depth look at the relevant academic program. To schedule a tour or an observation, please contact us.

  • Most of our classes are made up of long-term residents and local students, and we encourage every family to enroll for at least a full school year to get the full benefits of Nosara life.

    Under exceptional circumstances, students can enroll for a minimum of two trimesters (6 months) and contribute to year round fees, scholarship and capital improvements program fees.

  • Depending on the student’s age, they will receive some classes in Spanish language and some classes in English language, at roughly a 50/50 mix throughout the school day. This is to accommodate the Spanish-only speakers and English-only speakers who join the school each year. English is the common language in the lunchroom and at recess in many of our classes due in part to the demographics in Nosara.

    For students who stay at Del Mar Academy long term, they will become bilingual and have an opportunity to earn a bilingual International Baccalaureate Diploma.

    The time it will take for your child to learn their target language depends greatly on their social environment and other outside activities. If Spanish language learning is the top priority for your time in Nosara, we recommend that your child interact in local sports teams and take advantage of additional Spanish tutoring for your family.

  • Our classes currently have the following student-teacher ratios or maximums:

    Please note that there are rare instances where class sizes may exceed the above numbers.

  • Casa (preK and kindergarten) - Children must be three years old by September 15th of the relevant school year, and they must be potty-trained. In line with Montessori principles, students are grouped in multi-aged classrooms to foster peer learning, leadership, collaboration and a strong sense of community.

    Lower Primary (elementary grades 1 to 3) - To enter first grade, children must be six years old by September 15th of the relevant school year or have successfully completed Kindergarten at an accredited institution, which must provide all transfer documents. To enter second or third grade, the child must have completed the previous grade at an accredited institution, which must provide all transfer documents. In line with Montessori principles, students are grouped in multi-aged classrooms to foster peer learning, leadership, collaboration and a strong sense of community.

    Upper Primary (elementary grades 4 to 6) - The child must have completed the previous grade at an accredited institution, which must provide all transfer documents. Students are grouped in classes by grade.

    Lower Secondary (middle school grades 7 to 9) - To enter each grade, the child must have completed the previous grade at an accredited institution, which must provide all transfer documents. Students are grouped in classes by grade and follow the IB Middle Years Programme curriculum.

    Upper Secondary (high school grades 10 to 12) - To enter each grade, the child must have completed the previous grade at an accredited institution, which must provide all transfer documents. Students are grouped in classes by grade and follow the IB Diploma Program curriculum.

    New students to the IB Diploma Program must have a GPA of 84% or higher, and high bilingual Spanish-English proficiency.

  • Our admissions process is designed to help families learn more about our philosophy and programs while ensuring that each student is well-matched to the opportunities Del Mar Academy provides. It typically includes a school tour, application form and fee, an interview with our Admissions team or Head of School, and acceptance.

    We recommend completing the application form and fee as soon as possible, as many classes are full and some classes have an ongoing waitlist for new students.

    If you have questions about Admissions or wish to speak to our team right away, please call +506 2682 1213 or email admissions@delmaracademy.com.

  • Yes. We provide financial aid to those who qualify. We recognize that families have a wide range of financial capacities, and we want to ensure that the school’s tuition remains within reach for all families. That is why we will provide tuition adjustments for families who cannot afford the standard tuition, based on the capacity of our budget to support such adjustments. Families with difficulty affording the standard tuition and fees may apply for a tuition adjustment by completing the application process and submitting supporting documents (e.g., pay stubs, tax returns, etc.).

    We also have a Scholarship program, which provides tuition, resources and support for 29 local Nosara students to attend Del Mar Academy. Families who wish to apply for the Scholarship program can contact our Admissions team at admissions@delmaracademy.com.

  • At times, the number of applications exceeds the number of students we can serve. If there is no space available, your child will be placed on a waiting list of applicants. We assign priority for admission according to the following criteria:

    • Siblings of currently enrolled students (given first priority for admission)

    • Students coming from Montessori or IB World schools

    • Families who are long term residents of the Nosara area and are actively involved in the community

    • Students with a strong academic record and who perform well on their admission tests

  • Unfortunately, no. We are an internationally accredited school in a remote surf and jungle town of Nosara, and therefore every admissions decision we make is a crucial one for our school’s long-term financial stability.

    We understand that some families have to leave the school or the area before the end of the year for a variety of reasons. However, in those cases, the school is still required to pay staff and operating expenses.

  • At Del Mar Academy, we are committed to diversity and strive to be as inclusive as possible. We have a learning specialist and psychologist on staff to support students’ academic and social-emotional needs.

    However, we do not have the financial or staffing resources to serve all special needs students. In some cases, families may be asked to provide additional support teachers, hired at the parents’ expense, which can be challenging to find in a remote community like Nosara. Each application from a student with special needs is carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine if we can provide the appropriate level of support.

  • We love to have parents and guardians involved in the hands-on work of the school. In fact, Del Mar Academy parents commit to a minimum of 15 cooperative hours per year. 

    We know there is a strong correlation between parent involvement and school quality and our parents’ participation enables us to achieve great things together to benefit our students and community.  Parents participate in many ways, including reading with students in the classroom, helping with materials, co-planning and chaperoning field trips, leading or participating in parent committees, lending their special expertise to the school, and much more.

  • The school year for Del Mar Academy students begins in early September and ends in late June.  There are extended vacations in December and April, as well as long-weekends for a mid-trimester break each trimester. Costa Rican national holidays are observed.  We invite you to see our school calendar.

    The school day is from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday, with after-school activities typically starting at 3:15 pm. Classes finish at 1:45 pm every Tuesday for the entire school body for teacher professional development.

  • Yes. Students wear official Del Mar Academy polo shirts on regular school days and official Del Mar Academy t-shirts on P.E. days, which are noted for each grade at the beginning of the school year. Those are paired with khaki or black shorts/skorts. Through the school year, various grades or student groups host ‘free dress days’ to raise money for various causes.

  • We offer hot lunch daily, including options for vegetarians. The menu is posted every month and ranges from typical Costa Rican casados (chicken or fish with rice, beans and salad) to pastas, tacos and pizza. We offer a daily salad bar and desserts on Mondays and Fridays. Lunches are $5.50 for children grade 3 and lower, and $6.50 for older students. Payments are made directly to our provider Sprouts, run by local chef and restauranteur Maritza Ramírez.

    Students may bring their own lunch and a snack that they can eat during their classes designated snack time.

  • We hope so! But it is important to note that Nosara isn’t for everyone. Nosara is a small coastal community of made up of locals and international families. We drive on mostly dirt roads and experience the vast differences between the climate of rainy season May through November and dry season December through April. There are also lots of amazing critters and bugs, and the typical inconveniences of jungle life, such as power outages and water outages. It’s all part of the experience and joy of living in rural Costa Rica.

    For families who are considering moving to the area, we recommend experiencing Nosara in all of its seasons to really appreciate the different perspective that life in Nosara brings. There are also various websites about what it’s like to live in Nosara.

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