Even living just north of Kennedy it can be an ordeal. The traffic in the morning returning from the school on Carretera La Isabela and Camino Chiquito can be a nightmare, if after 7am.
Therefore, you are kind of stuck having to get your kid there between 6:30am to 7am-one whole hour before class starts at 7:30am, so you can get back to AH without tons of traffic.
Now I am considering the American School, because it is a bit closer to AH and you don't have to drive that extra distance from Ave. Belice to Community For Learning, but I think the Community for learning school could be better.
I would do St. Thomas-but it is just out of our price range.
Well gave this a whirl this morning-Left at 6:25am from near Ikea-JFK. Took about 13 minutes to get to this shcool-Community For Learning-The problem began after you take the road Carrtera La Isabela after the plaza Cuesta Hermosa Town Center and the Texaco station. The road enters some barrio areas and narrows-there are garbage trucks-gas trucks-carros publicos and other cars plus all the regular traffic blocking a narrow road making it more time consuming-stressful-frustrating and a general feeling that you could easily get into an accident. For example, I had to pass through the oncoming lane to get past a garbage truck blocking the road with all the incoming traffic into the city-again unsafe. Moreover, there are a number of RacerX drivers trying to pass the traffic in both directions creating another hazard.
Arrived at the school around 6:40am and stayed for 10 minutes. Then went back to Ikea-JFK, which took about 16 minutes-not bad, but lots of traffic even at 6:50am to 7:15am in the morning with a difficult narrow road.
All in all, unfortunately, we had to give up on the school and are now looking at other alternatives that are closer like The American School, which is only minutes from the Cuester Hermosa Town Center on a much safer and wider road with barely any traffic.
Also, Colegio San Judas Tadeo-Although not a bilingual school. It seems to be a very good Spanish-Dominican school and more affordable than the bilingual school options.
Quite disappointing that we could not make The Community For Learning work out, but going five days a week back and forth to the school, traffic and safety have to take a higher importance in our opinion.