The Casco School - Costa del Este vs Thomas Jefferson School

	T The Casco School - Costa del Este Panama City, Panama	T Thomas Jefferson School Panama City, Panama
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year $5,220 - 10,647	Fees / year $7,080
Age range	Age range 2 - 18 years	Age range 3 - 17 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage)	Curriculum Bespoke Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 450	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size 15	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Spanish	Instruction language Spanish, English
Opened	Opened 2018	Opened 2010
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location —	Location Located at Hacienda Country Club, Panamá.
Stages	Stages —	Stages Pre-kindergarten 3 through Grade 12 (PK-3 to 12th grade).
School type	School type —	School type Private bilingual school; co-educational.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation —	Country affiliation Panama
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure Preschool: Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; Extended Care: Monday–Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Primary and Secondary: Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; After School Program: Monday–Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details —	Fee details Application / Admission Fees - Application / admission (one-time) fee: USD 5,000 for the first child; USD 4,000 for a second child from the same family; USD 3,000 for a third child (reported figure). Tuition (colegiatura) — by level and billing unit - General published range for monthly tuition: USD 480 – USD 700 depending on the student's level (Pre‑school through Secondary). This range is reported as the typical monthly colegiatura for the school. Annual and per‑term totals are not published on the school's public pages; multiply the monthly range by the number of billed months to estimate annual cost. Examples of how the tuition range translates to yearly figures (illustrative only) - If billed over 12 months: annual tuition approximately USD 5,760 – USD 8,400. - If billed over 11 months: annual tuition approximately USD 5,280 – USD 7,700. - If billed over 10 months: annual tuition approximately USD 4,800 – USD 7,000. (Note: the school's public pages do not publish a level-by-level numeric schedule showing exact per‑term or per‑grade amounts.) Billing schedule and payment terms - Reported practice for similar private schools in the region is monthly colegiatura; available third‑party listings report a monthly tuition range for this school. Specifics such as the exact number of installments per academic year, invoice dates, late‑payment penalties, or discount policies for early/annual payment are not published on the school's public admissions and matriculation pages. Boarding fees - The school is described as a day school located within Hacienda Country Club and lists regular daily schedules for Pre‑school, Primary and Secondary; no boarding programme or boarding fees are published. Therefore, there are no publicly listed boarding fees. Other costs and recurring fees - Enrollment / matriculation (inscription) reported approximate amount: USD 1,260 (reported as an estimated inscription/matricula figure in third‑party listings). - Typical other costs that private schools commonly charge (not itemised on the school's public pages) include: school insurance, laboratory or materials fees, extracurricular activity fees, class trip fees, and parent association or capital fund contributions. The school's public pages do not list fixed amounts for uniforms, textbooks, supplies, transportation, extracurriculars, or school insurance. Refunds and withdrawal / refund policy - No public, itemised refund policy or refund amounts for withdrawal, dismissal, or non‑attendance is published on the school's public admissions or matriculation pages. Information on whether any portion of the admission fee, matriculation fee, or monthly colegiatura is refundable is not available in the publicly accessible pages. Accepted fee payment methods - The school's public contact and admissions pages list telephone and email contact routes for the Admissions Office. Specific, published payment channels (for example: credit card, debit card, bank transfer, online payment portal, or checks) are not itemised on the publicly available pages. Summary of availability of detailed fee data - A level‑by‑level, per‑term numeric fee schedule for the 2026/27 academic year (or a published 2025/26 schedule) is not available on the school's public admissions and matriculation pages. The figures above are the concrete numeric items that appear in third‑party school listings and summaries (monthly tuition range, approximate inscription/matricula, and reported admission/donation amounts). For many required details — exact annual or per‑term tuition by grade, the precise billing schedule and installment dates, explicit refund terms, uniform costs, and accepted payment mechanisms — the school's publicly accessible pages do not provide the itemised numbers required for a complete, grade‑by‑grade fee table.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details —	Curriculum details Thomas Jefferson School (TJS) offers a private, bilingual education from Pre-K 3 to 12th grade, grounded in ethical and moral values and aligned with international standards. The curriculum includes an innovative STEAMS program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, Service) and a neuroscience-based socio-emotional learning system (ASC) with a Family Support and Orientation Center that guides parents and students. Instruction is bilingual from PK-3, with French added from 8th grade. Classrooms are mixed-age and limited to 20 students to enable individualized attention; the school offers a Talent Development program and a high school track in Sciences and Humanities that includes robotics, marketing, social entrepreneurship, psychology, and health. The school participates in high-level competitions such as Robotics Olympiads, Olympiads of Thinking, and the Panamanian Mathematics Olympiad; the calendar runs March to December, with Primary and Secondary hours from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Pre-school hours from 7:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio Small class sizes and mixed-age classrooms with a maximum of 20 students per class to enable individualized attention.
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented Talent development program to enhance learning.
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning ASC is the Cognitive Social-Emotional Learning system, based on neuroscience and world-class educational practices. It shifts learning ownership to students in individual, paired, and group settings, reducing reliance on the teacher for direction. The ASC pillars include sessions for parents, and coaching for students, teachers, and school leadership as part of its approach. It emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, and applying knowledge across disciplines while cultivating attitudes and values. The ASC framework integrates neuropsychology research, collaborative learning, and technology-enriched methods to support autonomous, resilient learners.
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language Education is bilingual from Pre-K 3 onward, with French introduced starting in Grade 8.
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing Center for Family Support and Guidance provides comprehensive support and guidance to families to prevent crises or restore relationships. It offers tools for strengthening and renewing families through training sessions and encounters, and provides socio-emotional support at the individual, couple, and family levels. Its objectives include preventing crisis situations by informing and educating on interpersonal relationships and psychoeducational aspects of children. It promotes family values to foster stability and harmonious development within the school community. Through the STEAMS framework, it reinforces student wellbeing and family engagement.
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview The school has a Lower Elementary area with STREAMS. It provides a Maker Space and robotics / STEAMS facilities. Arts, music, and sports facilities are part of the campus. The campus includes a playground and sports offerings such as swimming classes and equestrianism, with after-school programs available.
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities Sports facilities include a playground, swimming classes, and equestrianism.
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities Lower Elementary STREAMS; English; Chemistry; STEAMS; Motor Skills; Maker Space; Genius Hour; Math (5th grade); Math (3rd grade).
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities After-School program offers extracurricular activities.
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History Thomas Jefferson School opened its doors as a private bilingual educational institution in early 2010. In 2016 Cognia awarded international accreditation (AdvancED at the time), and in 2021 the school reaccredited with Cognia. In 2017 the school pioneered the ASC Cognitive-Socioemotional Learning system, based on neuroscience and best educational practices worldwide, a first in Central America. Since then the school has grown steadily in student population and programs, which have become increasingly enriched as they are aligned with 21st-century skill profiles. The school is proud to be a young institution that has achieved significant successes in science, mathematics, leadership, robotics, languages, and the arts at national and international levels, as a result of its educational model.
Community	Community —	Community Thomas Jefferson School fosters an active, collaborative community with a strong emphasis on STEM and service. The PizzaByte Robotics team, formed with TJ School students and peers from other Panamanian schools, competed in FIRST robotics in Orlando (2024), finishing fourth in the alliance standings and earning the Team Sustainability Award and FIRST Dean's List Award. The team included sixteen TJ School students along with participants from AIP Cerro Viento, Boston School International, ISP, and Ganexa. In 2026, the Cyber Colts team represented Panama at FIRST Robotics Orlando, earning the Rising All-Star Award and reaching Leadership Award final and Woodie Flowers Finalist honors. The school also engages families through events such as World Cup Family Day, celebrating the joy of being part of the TJ School community.
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual The school's educational system is based on applying neuroscience and the best educational practices, breaking with traditional education and allowing the student to lead their learning. The school applies these first-world, innovative strategies with proven results in high-performing educational contexts, providing students with relevant academic content and fostering cognitive, social, and emotional development. The school's teaching approach encourages every student to develop mental processes as well as intellectual and learning skills, enabling accelerated learning.
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative The school offers a STEAMS program that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Service. The school provides arts, music, theater, and other creative outlets as part of the curriculum. The school provides Maker Space, Robotics/STEAMS, and Genius Hour to support hands-on exploration and creative expression.
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language The school provides bilingual education from PK-3 to 12th grade. The school includes French starting in grade 8. The school teaches English as part of the program.
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies The school offers extracurricular activities such as horseback riding, soccer, aerial silks, robotics, basketball, tennis, chess, debate, public speaking, vocal coaching, theatre-musical, and volleyball. The school provides an After-School program. The school has playgrounds and sports facilities for recreation.
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service The school stimulates solidarity and commitment to others; students are sensitized to the social realities of the community, the country, and the world, building a social conscience that fosters service leadership. The school promotes solidarity and its positive social impact through activities including service opportunities, personal encounters with children, and student-led service projects. Through these efforts, students develop entrepreneurial spirit, recognize the importance of leadership, and grow in creativity and innovation in their academic performance.
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional The school believes in a service leadership model in which every leader uses their skills and resources to serve others to achieve common goals. Every student has leadership potential, and the school fosters its development through explicit leadership instruction, a curriculum for leadership development from 1st through 12th grade, and leadership-in-action opportunities inside and outside the classroom. We encourage responsibility, self-awareness, initiative, critical thinking, and decision making, and support talent development based on multiple intelligences.
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing The school has sports facilities, including a swimming class and equestrianism. The school offers an After-School Program for extended care. Extracurricular offerings include equestrian, soccer, aerial silks, robotics, basketball, tennis, chess, debate, vocal coaching, theatre-musical, and volleyball, supporting students' physical, mental, and social well-being.
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision The school is a private bilingual school. English is used in the Lower Elementary STREAMS. The bilingual approach is applied across the curriculum.
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching The school is a private bilingual school.
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions —	Admissions 1. Contact and tour. The Admissions Department welcomes families. They invite visitors to tour the school to observe the teaching methodology in action. You may reach the department by email at info@tjs.edu.pa, by phone at (507) 832-2137 or (507) 838-5773, or by WhatsApp at +507 6297-6419. 2. New admission documents. The following documents are required for new enrollment: Two passport-sized photos; Copy of birth certificate; Copy of Panamanian ID or Passport; Copy of the Panamanian ID or Passport of the parents; Health certificate issued by a Panamanian physician; Copy of vaccination record; Copy of the grade reports from all previous grades; Certification of Convalidation issued by the Ministry of Education, MEDUCA. For students who studied grades abroad: Copy of the grade reports from all previous grades; The last grade studied must be legalized and apostilled in the country of origin; Certification of Convalidation issued by MEDUCA.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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