Freeport, Bahamas: Lucaya International School: 2023-2024 Fact Sheet

Lucaya International School (LIS) is an independent, nondenominational day school offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program from pre-kindergarten through year 13 (ages 3-18). The school was founded in 1998 and is authorized by the IB Organization and accredited by the Council of International Schools, and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Organization: The Lucaya International School is owned by the nonprofit Lucaya International School Foundation and is governed by a volunteer seven-member board of directors. The parents of the students attending LIS propose three members to this board, who serve two-year terms without limit for reelection and whose election terms are staggered. The other four members of the board of directors are appointed by the foundation council and are selected based upon their professional expertise and personal skills, which are deemed needed by the school. The principal is an ex-officio member of the board as well.

Curriculum: The goal at LIS is to offer a high quality, college-preparatory and international education. LIS is the only school on Grand Bahama authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) to offer the IB Diploma Program and Primary Years Program. All students take the PSAT and the MAP standardized tests. All graduates attend college, with most attending college in the United States and Canada. The school is able to offer accommodations to students in the high school and students with mild learning difficulties in the primary school. Students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sporting and extracurricular activities, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, Model United Nations, drama productions, ACT studies, Interact Rotary Club, and the Governor General’s Youth Award. An after-school, extracurricular enrichment program is also offered four days each week. Responsibility to others and the world around us is considered important at LIS, and creativity, activity, and service (CAS) is required of all students. Each student is expected to participate within the school and in the wider community in a range of service projects.

Faculty: In the 2023-2024 school year, LIS has 37 total staff including 30 teachers, 3 of whom are U.S. citizens, 9 host-country nationals, and 18 third-country nationals. Our faculty and staff represent number of nationalities, including The Bahamas, USA, UK, Canada, Cuba, Venezuela, Jamaica and the Czech Republic.  All teachers have bachelor’s degrees and above and teaching certification. 

Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year there are 181 students enrolled (PreK-Year 4; 45 Year 5-Year 7; 17 and Year 8-13; 100). The student body is comprised of many nationalities, with 22 from the U.S., 93 of the students being Bahamian, and the remaining 66 from other countries around the world.

Facilities: The 10-acre LIS campus is a purpose-built, gated, and secure facility, situated near Lucaya and Freeport City on Grand Bahama. There are 31 classrooms, two computer rooms, a library/media center, an IB facility, music and art rooms, and three science laboratories. Each classroom is equipped with multimedia computers and interactive whiteboards; and there is a campus-wide wireless network. Students in grades 5-11 are provided with laptops, IB students are expected to bring laptops, and the primary school uses touch screen pads and tablets in classroom lessons. The redeveloped sports field allows the school to offer boys’ and girls’ soccer, basketball, softball, and sand volleyball. There are architectural plans developed to build a multipurpose building that includes an indoor basketball court, a theater with stages, additional classrooms, bathrooms, and shower facilities.

Finances: For school year 2023/2024, annual tuition rates are as follows: PK: $7,011; Kindergarten $9,130; Year 1 to 4 $10,545; Year 5 to 6 $10,716; Year 7 to 9 $13,638; Year 10 to 11 $16,093; IB1 and IB2 $16,407. There is a $250.00 nonrefundable registration fee, and a one-time $2000.00 development fee.

Special Needs: Review the Special Needs Profile for this school to learn more about their capability to support students with exceptionalities.

This Fact Sheet is intended to provide general information. Prospective users of the schools may wish to inquire further of A/OPR/OS or contact the school directly for more specific and up-to-the-minute information. Information and statistics are current as of September 2023 and provided by the school.