Statistics Institute and Instituto Nueva Escuela manage to include Montessori schools and questions about the impact of Hurricane Maria in an important school survey

Announcements



IEPR



24 December 2025

PRESS RELEASE

Statistics Institute and Instituto Nueva Escuela manage to include Montessori schools and questions about the impact of Hurricane Maria in an important school survey

The 2019 edition of the YRBSS for Puerto Rico included students from Montessori schools for the first time and asked about the effects of the hurricane on these students

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute joined forces with the Instituto Nueva Escuela, achieving for the first time that Montessori schools are included in the 2019 edition of the survey Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YBSS). The YRBSS is a survey conducted every two years to students in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 across the United States and its jurisdictions, including Puerto Rico. The questions cover various topics related to students' health and risk behaviors, and as a result, statistics are produced on bullying, electronic harassment, violent behavior, sexual behavior, drug use and on students' eating habits, among others.

In addition, it was possible to include five additional questions, related to the impact of Hurricane Maria on students, from all the schools participating in the study in Puerto Rico. Approximately 1,498 students from public schools in Puerto Rico participated in the self-administered survey, and of these, a total of 110 students belonged to Montessori schools, of which 53% were male, 47% female, and 27.2%, 54.5%, 16.0% and 2.3% were in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, respectively. Although it is expected that by the end of this year the Institute of Statistics and the Instituto Nueva Escuela will produce an official and detailed statistical report on the results of this survey, here are some preliminary results regarding hurricane questions in students under the Montessori philosophy:

80.4% of students reported that they spent a month or more without electricity in their homes.
98.9% of students reported feeling sad or hopeless after the impact of Hurricane Maria and due to the lack of electricity.
47.1% of students reported that they spent a month or more without drinking water service in their homes.
100% of the students reported feeling sad or hopeless after the impact of Hurricane Maria and due to the lack of drinking water.
77.7% of students reported that they were unable to attend school for a month or more because it was closed or unable to reach or access it.

“These preliminary results show us the enormous impact that the passage of Hurricane Maria had on these Montessori school students. In previous editions, these students, under the Montessori philosophy, were left out of this important survey. However, thanks to the teamwork of both institutes, we have been able to make them visible,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier, executive director of the Institute of Statistics.

For their part, Dr. Ana María García Blanco, executive director of the Instituto Nueva Escuela, and Mr. Cesar Ostolaza of the Evaluation and Research Division said: “We are very happy with the invitation from Dr. Orville M. Disdier to participate in this study. It is important to have reliable data in the face when making decisions about the practices and services we will provide to our students. Their voices are essential in defining the public policies for which we are choosing. It is imperative to take into account the emotional state of young people, especially based on the natural and social phenomena they have been through when it comes to “building” a school. It is with them and from them that we must build it.”

The Instituto Nueva Escuela is a non-profit entity that seeks to transform the public education system in Puerto Rico through Montessori philosophy and methodology. For its part, the Statistics Institute of Puerto Rico is a governmental entity with fiscal and administrative autonomy with the mission of coordinating the statistical production service of government entities. To learn more about the Instituto Nueva Escuela you can access the website: www.inepr.com. To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

###

Contacts: Idia M. Martínez, R‐28, 787‐603‐3200, and Lourdes Burgos, R‐27, 787‐562‐2932

‍

Share this article:

Download the Document

Statistics Institute and Instituto Nueva Escuela manage to include Montessori schools and questions about the impact of Hurricane Maria in an important school survey

Please let us know your satisfaction level with our services.

‍

Please evaluate

Visit our Official Activities, and participate with us

Visit our Calls for applications and be part of the new opportunities we have for you.

If you have any questions or just want to contact us, visit the Contact Us section.

We are at your disposal. If you need custom statistics, do not hesitate to contact us.

Make your request

Sign up for our online workshops. Connect with the experts and discover the power of data!

Make your request

Visit our Blog and keep up to date with the latest news and topics of interest.

Visit our Press Releases and stay connected to the Institute.

Explore the Publication Calendar and keep up to date with Puerto Rico's statistics.

Complete the form for the selection of our Statistics Coordination Committee

Suscribe to receive news directly to your email.

Listen to the Official PRIS podcast and stay informed with the experts

Consult users of Puerto Rico's Economic Statistics

Consult users of Puerto Rico's Economic Statistics

Welcome to the Governor's Council of Economists

Welcome to the Governor's Council of Economists

Net migration was estimated at 35,000 people in 2019

During the calendar year 2019, it was estimated, in net terms, that nearly 35,000 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States. This is revealed by the most recent data from the Community Survey.

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau covers the 2019 calendar year. The new data has been published through the new platform data.census.gov. As the local entity liaising with the U.S. Census Bureau, the Institute of Statistics shares several findings from the new 2019 data:

In 2019, Puerto Rico's migration indicators showed the following changes compared to previous years:
- Around 35,000 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States in net terms, representing a decrease compared to previous years (2011-2018) where the net balance ranged from 49,000 to 113,000 people migrating annually based on information from the Community Survey.
- 31,144 people immigrated from the United States to Puerto Rico, contrasting with an increase in immigrants of 49% compared to 2018, where an estimated immigration of 20,900 people was estimated.
- 66,021 people immigrated to other jurisdictions in the United States, showing a decrease from the record number in 2018, which amounted to 133,451 people.
Regarding various socioeconomic characteristics for Puerto Rico during 2019:
- Some 684,655 people or 21.6% of the population (3,169,528) reported having a disability.
- Around 77,000 grandparents live with their grandson or granddaughter under 18 and 32.2% of these are responsible for them.
- For the population aged 25 and over (2,301,735):
  - 78.8% had a higher education or higher education
  - 27.2% had an education attained at the baccalaureate level or higher
- 39.5% and 43.5% of families and individuals, respectively, are below the poverty line.
- The median household income was $20,474.
- The median household income was $25,388.
- The GINI index, which measures income inequality, where the value of 0 indicates that there is perfect equality and the value 1 total inequality, places Puerto Rico with an indicator of 0.5509, being the highest when compared to the states.
- As for households (1,170,982), it was estimated that:
  - 76.3% had a computer
  - 68.2% had access to an internet subscription (broadband)

“In terms of migration, published data for 2019 point to a reduction in net migration compared to previous years. However, the fact that nearly 35,000 people have emigrated means that 1% of Puerto Rico's population declined through emigration in a single year, which has been the drastic trend throughout the decade 2010-2020,” said Alberto L. Velázquez-Estrada, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute.

See more details, data and information about the 2019 Community Survey at: data.census.gov. In addition, you can consult about the transition to the new platform for accessing census data, available at the following links, webinars: https://cutt.ly/Cw7v9fI, SDC-PR and tutorials: https://www.census.gov/data/academy/data-gems/2019/visualize-data.html.

‍

Subscribe

By subscribing you will begin to receive our products and services free of charge directly to your email.

La Ley Núm. 209-2003, según enmendada, creó al Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico como una entidad gubernamental autónoma con la encomienda de coordinar el servicio de producción de estadísticas del Gobierno para asegurar que los sistemas de recopilación de datos y estadísticas, en los que se basan las políticas públicas, estén completos, sean confiables y de acceso rápido y universal.

Access the Public Transparency Portalto request access to information, receive notifications and follow up in a secure and transparent manner, in accordance with Law 141-2019.