Robinson School’s history dates to the beginning of the 20th century with the establishment of the first Methodist Church in Puerto Rico, located on Sol Street in Old San Juan. Mrs. May Leonard Woodruff, an executive secretary of the Women’s Home Missionary Society of the United Methodist Church began a home and school for orphan girls in 1902, only four years after Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States. Initially, the home was located in Puerta de Tierra. It was then relocated to Casa Balva in Santurce during its second year.
George O. Robinson, an attorney from Detroit and a member of the Board of Missions, donated the funds to buy four and half acres of land on Nairn Street in Condado in 1904, where Robinson School’s first buildings were constructed and where Robinson School still stands today. We introduced Puerto Rico’s first kindergarten education program in 1905. Robinson became a co-educational institution in 1944 at the elementary level and then, in 1951, at the secondary level. The first high school class graduated in 1947 and consisted of seven young women.
Puerto Rico’s first and only Learning Center Program within a college preparatory curriculum was established in 1984 at Robinson. Its purpose is to educate children with specific learning disabilities and prepare them for college. In 2009, we celebrated our 25th anniversary. The program is now called “Pathways,” as it helps students find their path to success.
Continuing its tradition of being a pioneer in preschool education, in 1991, Robinson School expanded its pre-school program to include students from three through five years of age.
Beginning with its inception, Robinson was accredited by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. We have been accredited by the Puerto Rico Department of Instruction since 1918. In 1956, the school was evaluated and continues to be by the Middle States Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.
Robinson School is proud of its long standing heritage as the oldest private school in Puerto Rico. Today, it strives to provide a sound academic education of the highest order in a secure and compassionate environment, which affirms and reflects Christian values and traditions. The School’s programs promote academic excellence in a campus setting where the dignity and needs of each individual student are recognized and respected.