Skopje, North Macedonia: NOVA International Schools: 2023-2024 Fact Sheet

NOVA International School is an independent, coeducational day school that offers an educational program from pre-kindergarten (three-year-olds) through grade 12. The school was founded in 1997, and the purpose-built campus is in a residential neighborhood near the city center. The school year is divided into two semesters and extends from late August to mid-June. During the year, students have a one-week fall break (October), a three-week winter break, a shorter (February) break, and a one-week spring break (April).

Organization: The school is advised by a nine-member Board (the U.S. Ambassador appoints two members.) The leadership includes the school’s founder, Director, division principals, Business Manager, and HR Manager. The school is also supported by a security team, facilities and ICT department, business and accounting office, administrative and admission office, and five counselors. NOVA International School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), an IB World Continuum school authorized for the PYP, MYP, and DP. It is also part of the College Board (TOEFL/SAT testing services), accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of North Macedonia, and a full member of the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA).

Curriculum: The Early Education Center (EEC) and the Elementary School (ES) division offer the IB’s Primary Years Program (PYP), an inquiry-based educational framework focused on developing the whole child, recognizing the importance of children’s academic, social, emotional, cultural, and physical development. The EEC curriculum is a play-based learning environment. The ES uses the American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards, aligned with the U.S. Common Core state standards for literacy and numeracy. It also uses the AERO Science, Social Studies, and World Languages standards. Specialty classes, such as Art, Music, Dance, and Physical Education, are included for students in grades K to 5. Macedonian language and culture classes in grades K-5 are offered to local and international students in four phases, depending on comprehension. The Secondary School (SS) offers the IB Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma (DP) programs. Foreign languages (French, German, Spanish) and Macedonian language classes are part of grades 6-12 curriculum. The school uses Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), the MYP eAssessment, and the (P)SAT 8/9/10/11 to benchmark academic achievement and growth. Student Support Services provide academic and social-emotional support for students. The school aims to empower students and their families to accomplish mental health, wellness, educational, and career goals through a comprehensive counseling model. After-school activities are provided to all grades in sports (soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, gymnastics, cross-country, swimming), arts (drama, band, choir, ballet, hip hop), languages, math, science, robotics, knowledge bowl, and speech/debate. The school is home to SuperNOVA athletics and academics, with students (grades 6-12) part of the program participating in CEESA end-of-season competitions and tournaments. Most NOVA graduates matriculate to higher education institutions in EU countries, the U.S., and Asia/Australia.

Faculty: In the 2023-2024 school year, NOVA has 199 total staff including 122 teachers, 11 of whom are U.S. citizens, 78 host-country nationals, and 33 third-country nationals from the UK, Canada, Taiwan, France, Peru, Turkey, Russia, and Serbia. All teaching faculty maintain a teaching certificate and/or credential.

Enrollment: At the start of the 2022-2023 school year, student enrollment is 753 students including 51 U.S. citizens, 428 host-country nationals, and 274 third-country nationals. There are 40+ nationalities represented.

Facilities: The school campus is composed of purpose-built buildings dedicated to an early education center, elementary, lower secondary, and upper secondary school. A sky bridge connects the elementary and secondary school buildings. The school has an elevator to address staff and student mobility issues. The school campus has separate facilities that house part of student support services, marketing and communications, and the business office. This school year, the school introduced a new cafeteria extension and added more green spaces and playground equipment. The school will soon commence its most significant expansion to-date with the addition of a new gym, theater, two levels of parking, new classrooms, science labs, and administrative and communal spaces for students and staff. The outdoor spaces include three gated playgrounds, a small soccer field, a basketball court, and a large outdoor amphitheater. The entire campus offers wireless connectivity. There are five science labs, three art rooms, two libraries, three full-service cafeterias, two indoor amphitheaters, two music studios, two dance studios, a drama room, an elementary gym, and a design studio. The school uses an adjacent sports and recreational center for its physical education classes, bigger events, and competitions.

Finances: Annual tuition rates for the 2023-2024 school year are: PK3–PK4: €4,300; grades K-5: €12,800; grades 6-8: €13,100, grades 9-10: €14,000; grades 11-12: €14,050. The school charges an enrollment fee of €450 applicable to those entering grades 1-12 and a capital fee of €3,000 applicable to grades 1-12. The school also charges an application fee of €100 and a nonrefundable deposit of €1,000 (deducted from tuition). The following fees are optional: hot meal €500/semester, and bus transportation €750/semester. (Fees quoted in euros and payable in U.S. dollars.)

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.