Costa Rica is a country of extreme economic disparity. Although Costa Rica is more developed  than a lot of other Central American countries, it is one of the few where extreme poverty is on the rise. A major issue that Costa Rica faces is early childhood education due to lack of facility resources in the mountainous rural areas of the country.

Due to its relatively low crime rates and more stable government, Costa Rica is an asylum for many Latin American refugees. The addition of these displaced people increases economic and political pressure on the Costa Rican government and society. With a myriad of problems to address, the importance of educational progress has been a lower priority compared to other in-country issues. 

Education in Costa Rica is free; however, many parents cannot afford to pay their child’s lunch fees or provide a packed lunch. Because of this, it is estimated that only 30% of students graduate from High School. 

Pedro Murillo Perez is a school in Barva that has about 300 students that attend each day. They only have 8 classrooms, leaving very little room for students in each classroom. They are the only school in Barva that offers special education for students with learning disabilities, and currently do not have classrooms for those students with special needs. 

This summer, HXP Builders will be building a new building that will be used for 3 new classrooms for those students with special needs. The classrooms will also be used for music and art classes.