"If you want to get certification from another country (ie: the states) you must be certified in the DR before you can be considered for certs from the other country. And the certification process from the states varies depending on the states."
This is not 110% correct. If you want your students to receive a diploma from the Dominican Republic, then yes, you need to be certified first there. However, if you are certifying a school whereby the students will receive solely a foreign diploma, then certification from the DR is not necessary.
For example, if you are opening an international school which will receive one of the U.S. regional certifications, your students will graduate with a U.S. diploma, enabling them to continue on with the necessary credentials to enter a U.S. college or university. That accreditation process is comprehensive and lengthy. (This past year, I assisted the International School of Sosua in the process of renewing their accreditation with S.A.C.C.S., the accrediting organization for the southern states.)
When all is said and done, though, any international school in this country is smart obtain dual certifications in order to offer their students a broader base of post graduate options.