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Preparatoria Federal Lázaro Cárdenas

Mexico, Tijuana

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The school at a glance
Instructs in Spanish
Fees Fees not listed
Ages Not listed
Pupil numbers 4000
Type Co-educational
Opened 1946
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages Spanish, English
Strengths Sport, Visual and Creative Arts, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Secondary School, Senior Secondary School
Introduction

Preparatoria Federal Lázaro Cárdenas (PFLC) is a federal public upper secondary school in Tijuana, Baja California, offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) alongside a bespoke local curriculum. The IB DP is designed for students aged 16–19 and emphasizes thinking, inquiry, communication, social and self-management skills, with students selecting subjects from Groups 1–5, including Spanish A: Literature NS, English B NS, History NS, Business Management NM, Physics NM or Biology NM, and Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches NM. The Diploma Programme rests on three core components and ends with externally marked examinations; the PFLC IB DP is coordinated by Alejandro Valdez Vega (coordinacionib@lazarocardenas.edu.mx). The school sits on a historic campus that includes the Alberca de Aguacaliente pool, used for aquatic sports and school events, though access was suspended in 2019 after fractures were detected. The on-site Biblioteca Salvador M. Lima supports reading and research. Extracurricular life centers on Artistic-Cultural and Physical-Sport activities, with programs such as Olimpiadas Académicas and the Círculo de Lectura.

Paseo de los Héroes #11161, Zona Río, Tijuana, Baja California, México, 22010

The Essentials

Preparatoria Federal Lázaro Cárdenas has 4,000 pupils, instruction in Spanish.

Location
Paseo de los Héroes #11161, Zona Río, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, 22010.

Stages
The school is a federal high school (Preparatoria) serving upper secondary students and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (admissions 2026-2028).

Type
Federal public high school

Country affiliation
Mexico. It operates under the Mexican federal education system.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
The uniform includes a polo shirt; students must present themselves wearing the uniform polo shirt, with their face uncovered and hair in natural tones.

Food Options
Meals for students are provided through the Bienestar Estudiantil program; for events, a payment of MXN 250 is allocated to cover the student's meal.

Governance and Ownership
Public federal high school in the Mexican education system.
Fees
Application fees

- No separate application fee is charged for admission to the Preparatoria Federal Lázaro Cárdenas; admission is processed through the standard public-entry procedures for entry to the preparatoria.

Tuition fees (by year group and term)

- The institution operates as a federal public preparatoria and does not charge regular tuition fees per semester or per school year. There are no recurring “colegiatura” charges for students enrolled in standard daytime study programs.

Administrative and transactional fees (examples and details)

- Duplicate certificate (duplicado de certificado de terminación de estudios): MXN 76.00 for the year 2026. Payment is made using the bank payment form indicated by the school (formato “e5”) and a bank receipt is required for collection.

- Extraordinary/regularization exam fees and similar single-service charges: these are collected per the school's payment instructions (pay at a bank counter using a single printed payment form; up to 4 subjects may be paid on one payment sheet). The exact amount for each exam or service is set on the payment form for that specific procedure. After payment, the bank receipt must be presented at the school's financial/administrative windows.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Timing: One-off administrative charges (exam fees, certificate fees, course-specific charges) use payment forms that have a year-limited validity (payment slips issued for 2026 were valid only during 2026). Payments must be made before presenting the receipt at the school's financial or student-services windows.

- Process: Generate the school's designated “hoja de ayuda” / bank-payment slip, present it at an authorized bank branch (pagar en ventanilla bancaria), pay the indicated amount, keep the bank receipt, and then deliver the receipt to the school's Recursos Financieros or Control Escolar to complete the administrative step. The school uses the standardized DPA/e5 bank-payment mechanism for these transactions.

Boarding fees

- Not applicable. The preparatoria operates as a daytime public federal high school and does not list a boarding/internado program or boarding charges. Therefore no boarding or residence fees apply. (Inference based on the school's program and administrative pages.)

Other costs and typical extras (uniforms, activities, insurance)

- Uniforms and appearance: The school requires students to attend certain administrative steps wearing the school polo or uniform item specified for photographs and identification processes; families commonly incur the cost to purchase the required polo/uniform pieces. The school's re‑registration instructions reference the school polo for official photos.

- Optional program/activity fees: Charges for extracurricular registrations, intersemestral courses, cultural or sports activities, or similar programs are handled as specific single-service payments and follow the same payment procedure (bank-payment slip, bank receipt, present to the school). Amounts for each optional activity are set on the corresponding payment form.

- Health/insurance enrollment: The school publishes an IMSS facultative enrollment process; any fees or procedures tied to optional insurance enrollment follow the IMSS and school guidance for that program.

Refund information

- Refunds/reimbursements for administrative payments follow the standard federal procedures that apply to Derechos, Productos y Aprovechamientos (DPA) paid via bank-payment slips; any request for reversal or refund of a paid DPA is processed under those official refund rules and the school's administrative practice for financial operations. Parents should present the original bank receipt and follow the school's financial-office instructions to initiate any refund procedure.

Fee payment options

- Primary accepted method for administrative charges: payment at an authorized bank counter (pagar en ventanilla bancaria) using the school's printed payment slip / “hoja de ayuda” or the DPA/e5 payment format. After payment, the bank receipt is presented at the school's Recursos Financieros or Control Escolar.

- In-person processing: the school handles receipts and issues internal confirmations at its financial windows (Ventanillas de Recursos Financieros / Control Escolar) once the external bank payment has been completed.

Summary (practical points for a parent)

- There is no recurring tuition bill per term or per year group; regular daytime study is provided as a federal public preparatoria without colegiatura.

- Expect occasional, specific administrative charges (exam fees, certificates, optional activities). These are paid via bank-payment slips at bank counters; bring the bank receipt to the school's financial window to complete the procedure. The duplicate-certificate fee for 2026 was MXN 76.00.
Academics

Preparatoria Federal Lázaro Cárdenas teaches IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum.

Curriculum
The school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) for students aged 1619, a rigorous and balanced program with final examinations that prepare students for university and adult life. It is designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical dimensions of student well-being, and to develop thinking, inquiry, social, self-management, and communication skills. To ensure breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, students take at least one subject from Groups 15; offered subjects include Spanish A: Literature NS, English B NS, History NS and Business Management NM, Physics NM or Biology NM, and Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches NM. The Diploma Programme rests on three core components and culminates in externally marked examinations. The Diploma Programme Coordinator is Alejandro Valdez Vega (coordinacionib@lazarocardenas.edu.mx). Documents and PFLC IB Diploma Programme policies are current for the 2025-2026 academic year, including Admissions Policy, Evaluation, Academic Integrity, Inclusion, Language Policy, and Complaints Procedure.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school offers a Student Wellbeing program with a Social Service component and provides semester Tutorial Actions to support students.

Mental Wellbeing
Mental wellbeing is supported through the Student Wellbeing program.

Safeguarding
Preventing harassment and bullying is everyone's responsibility.
Parent Experience

History
Postsecondary education needs led to the birth of the first preparatory in Tijuana. On October 2, 1946, nine students began the dream that today continues with more than four thousand students. The school marks the 80th anniversary of its founding on October 2, 1946, and the 53rd anniversary of federalization on December 2, 1973. The Preparatoria Federal "Lázaro Cárdenas" is the most recognized upper secondary school in Tijuana, with a reputation that extends beyond its facilities and a commitment to continuous improvement. The PFLC community includes teachers, education-support staff, students, parents, and thousands of alumni who have pursued the path of self-improvement.

Community
The PFLC community comprises the teaching staff, support personnel, students, and parents, along with thousands of alumni who pursued the school dream. It marks milestones such as the founding anniversary on October 2, 1946 and the federalization anniversary on December 2, 1973. The site highlights ongoing events, including Bienvenidos Jaguares 2026-2029 and the public event appointing the Director for the 2026-2030 period.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The school has Representación de Madres y Padres de Familia (parents and families representation). The page provides a Grad Nite 2025 registration process and a parental consent letter. Rendición de Cuentas 2023-2024 shows accountability documents such as an Acta, Informe and Resumen Ejecutivo.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
PFLC is located at Paseo de los Héroes #11161, Zona Río, Tijuana, Baja California, 22010. The campus includes the historic Alberca de Aguacaliente on site, which has been used for swimming, water polo, and school events as part of the Aguacaliente complex. The pool was rehabilitated around 2007–2008 and access was suspended in 2019 after fractures were detected and a structural evaluation was initiated. The Biblioteca Salvador M. Lima is the on-site library serving PFLC, reflecting the school's long-standing emphasis on reading and research. The school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme as part of its academic offerings.

Sports Facilities
PFLC has on-site sports facilities associated with the Alberca de Aguacaliente, a swimming pool on campus that has supported aquatic sports such as swimming and water polo, and has hosted school events. Between 2007 and 2018 the pool was used for swimming and polo acuático. In 2019 fractures were detected around the pool area, access was suspended, the water was drained, and major structural work was planned.

Academic Facilities
The school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). The program covers subjects across groups: Language and Literature (Spanish A: Literature NS), Language Acquisition (English B NS), Individuals and Societies (History NS; Business Management NM), Sciences (Physics NM; Biology NM), and Mathematics (Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches NM). Alejandro Valdez Vega serves as the Coordinador del Programa del Diploma Internacional (IB) PFLC. coordinacionib@lazarocardenas.edu.mx

Extra Curricular Facilities
Extracurricular activities are organized under two main categories: Artistic-Cultural and Physical-Sport (Físico-Deportivas). These areas are part of PFLC's Actividades y Programas, which also include elements such as reading circles and other cultural initiatives.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
PFLC offers Olimpiadas Académicas for student competition and academic excellence. Círculo de Lectura (Reading Circle) is an official PFLC academic enrichment club guided by the teacher Maria Guadalupe Vega. The circle reads works such as Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Macario and connects the themes to multiple subjects and the social context. Registration for the circle is available via an online form.

Arts & Creative
Artistic-Cultural activities (talleres culturales) are offered. Registration starts with filling out the registration form and printing the consent letter to submit to the Office of Actividades Artísticas y Culturales; registration and service hours depend on completing the process. The interested student must fill out the questionnaire and submit the consent letter by Friday, March 6; the workshops are free. The Coordinadora Cívico/Cultural is Marcela Gómez Benavides.

Cultural & Language
Círculo de Lectura is PFLC's reading circle and serves as a cultural-language activity. It is the official PFLC club, with contact at circulodelectura@lazarocardenas.edu.mx. The club engages students in reading selections and connects them to coursework, with an inscription form available for joining.

Social & Hobbies
The school runs the Department of Actividades Deportivas y Recreativas, coordinating sports and recreational activities. A training schedule for Semester A 2025-2026 is published, with new schedules indicated as PROXIMAMENTE. Notable items include Sporting achievements of the Jaguares and events such as Copa Ib and Desfiles associated with school celebrations.

Community & Service
Bienestar Estudiantil - Vinculación coordinates student wellbeing and community engagement. The Benito Juárez scholarships are listed for new entrants, with internal scholarships available for the semester. Service hours (Horas de Servicio Social) are registered and managed, and Jaguars Unidos por la Niñez is a community outreach initiative.

Leadership & Professional
The school offers Acción Tutorial as part of the student guidance program, supporting semester-based academic and personal development.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Physical and recreational activities are organized by the Department of Actividades Deportivas y Recreativas. Training schedules for sports are posted for the current term, with updates expected (PROXIMAMENTE). The department highlights sports achievements and events such as Casos de Éxito Deportivo de los Jaguares and related activities.
Languages

Language Provision
The school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). Language courses include Spanish A: Literature and English B as part of the programme's language acquisition. The programme includes subjects across Groups 1–5, such as Spanish Literature, English, History, Business Management, Physics or Biology, and Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches. Examinations include externally assessed papers and school-based assessments with external moderation.
Admissions

Admissions
1. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is offered for students aged 16 to 19. The Diploma Programme is a rigorous and balanced educational program with final examinations that provides strong preparation for university and adulthood. 2. The program aims to form students who are informed and inquisitive, while being caring and attentive to the needs of others, and it promotes intercultural understanding and an open mindset, as well as the attitudes necessary to respect and evaluate different viewpoints. 3. The program's approaches to teaching and learning are the deliberate strategies, skills, and attitudes that permeate the teaching and learning environment. In the DP, students develop thinking, research, social, self-management, and communication skills. To ensure breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, students must take at least one subject from Groups 1 to 5. 4. The subjects taught in the program include: Language and Literature – Spanish A: Literature NS; Language Acquisition – English B NS; Individuals and Societies – History NS and Business Management NM; Sciences – Physics NM or Biology NM; Mathematics – Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches NM. 5. The program also includes three core components that form the central axis of its philosophy: the Model of the Diploma Programme (IBO, 2023). 6. At the end of the program, students take written examinations corrected by external examiners (international examinations). Students also complete school-based assessments that are first marked by teachers and then undergo external moderation, or are sent directly to external examiners (internal assessment). 7. To learn more about the program and the IB, the official IB site is recommended. 8. PFLC's Diploma Programme documentation and policies (valid for the 2025–2026 school year) include: Admissions Policy; Assessment; Academic Integrity; Inclusion; Language Policy; and Complaints Procedure. 9. For more information about the program, consult the IB site or contact the International Baccalaureate Coordinator by appointment: coordinacionib@lazarocardenas.edu.mx. 10. Alejandro Valdez Vega is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Coordinator, coordinacionib@lazarocardenas.edu.mx. 11. PFLC, Paseo de los Héroes #11161, Zona Rio, Tijuana, Baja California, México, 22010. Teléfonos: (664) 686-12-97; 686-2701; 6 865-108. correo electrónico: epflc@lazarocardenas.edu.mx.

Scholarships
PFLC Internal Scholarships September to December 2026.
School Events
The school has not added events
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