Modular High School Program Eases Education Demand in Puerto Aventuras

Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo — The opening of a modular high school program has helped relieve the demand for upper-secondary spaces in Puerto Aventuras, where some young people had not found a place or had been assigned to schools outside the community, said Tomás Flores Benítez, second councilman of the Puerto Aventuras municipal authority.

The program operates on Saturdays at the José Antonio Tzuc Esparza secondary school while the “Margarita Meza” high school is under construction. Flores Benítez said that campus is expected to open in 2027.

The councilman said the lack of high school spaces had created difficulties for families, as some students were assigned to schools in Playa del Carmen and even Felipe Carrillo Puerto. “Many kids were assigned here in Playa del Carmen, others as far as Felipe Carrillo Puerto, based on what some neighbors told us; but some didn’t even have a spot,” he said.

Flores Benítez said the space for the modular program opened about two weeks ago, allowing students to continue their studies in Puerto Aventuras without having to travel to other towns every day.

The opening came after parents organized to demand more options. The councilman said the group consulted with his office and with education authorities, and he believes the new modality will broaden opportunities for students.

Strong demand for high school placements remains, driven by the community’s growth and the number of students finishing lower grades. Flores Benítez noted that some students from the previous school year were still looking for a placement. “We still had some from last cycle who didn’t have space,” he said.

He added that new schools at other levels will gradually increase the number of students who will need high school placements. A new elementary school recently opened in Puerto Aventuras, but the most pressing need is at the high school level. “At the upper-secondary level is where we don’t have enough space; it’s still needed and people are asking for it,” he said.

The modular modality provides a way to address part of the current demand while families continue calling for expanded enrollment and infrastructure. “The community was asking to expand high school enrollment, expand the facilities, give us another school,” he said.

Flores Benítez added that residents also want classrooms and a traditional, school-day high school option in Puerto Aventuras in the future.