Panama City, Panama: International School of Panama: 2023-2024 Fact Sheet

International School of Panama (ISP) is the only non-profit, independent international school in the country and is known for its academic excellence and cultural diversity. ISP is nonsectarian, enjoys a vibrant and inclusive community of over 40 citizenships, and offers a college preparatory program from early childhood to 12th grade. The school has been in operation for over 40 years and is an IB World School accredited by COGNIA. Our mission is to inspire and challenge every learner to reach their full potential and become curious, independent, and compassionate citizens of the world.

Organization: ISP has four divisions: early childhood, elementary, middle school, and high school. A board of trustees together with the Head of School and other members of school leadership are responsible for preserving and achieving the mission of ISP. As lead educator and administrator of the school, the Head of School is responsible for the daily life and operations of the school and for implementing the mission and values of ISP.

Curriculum: As a student-centered organization, our curriculum is designed to prepare students for their best future, thus offering opportunities at every level that allow all students to explore their passions. Early Childhood (EC) is a play-based, joyful, multi age program that enhances learning through the power of choice, which is at the heart of social-emotional learning, creativity, and fun. The elementary school boasts an inquiry model that allows students to explore, investigate, and dig deep into their learning. In middle school, students learn and grow at their own pace and are empowered to explore the skills, mindsets, and character traits that nurture the development of their full potential as learners and leaders in the 21st century. High school offers several pathways that students can select as a route to graduation. Students can choose to emphasize the arts, enroll in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate program, or choose the International Baccalaureate Program. The athletics program has the US National Distinction Level 1 status within the National Federation of State High School Associations School Honor Roll program. Except for Spanish language classes and specific requirements for those students who wish to pursue a Panamanian program diploma, instruction is in English.

Faculty: In the 2023-2024 school year, ISP has 307 total staff including 185 teachers, 40 of whom are U.S. citizens, 89 host-country nationals, and 56 third-country nationals.

Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment was 1,262. Of this total, 186 are U.S. citizens, 518 host-country nationals, and 558 are third-country nationals.

Facilities: The school is located on 9.6 hectares of beautiful tropical land in a suburb of Panama City. One of its most unique features is the Visual and Performing Arts Center equipped with professional grade lighting, sound, and stage for 550 guests. ISP offers state of the art athletics facilities, two large, air-conditioned gymnasium/multipurpose facilities, three outdoor covered basketball courts, three soccer fields, one FIFA sized soccer field, a running track, a swimming pool, three covered tennis courts, and two brand new cafeterias designed to cater to our diverse student body. The campus has complete WiFi coverage, computer labs including one MAC lab, STEAM labs, art rooms, music rooms, and science laboratories.

Finances: The International School of Panama is a non-profit educational institution that reinvests all income from tuition and fees into its programs and infrastructure. Annual tuition rates for the 2023-2024 school year are as follows: PK3: USD $9,664; PK4 – grade 5: USD $14,756; grades 6-8: USD $16,188; and grades 9-12: USD $18,304. The school charges a one-time capital donation of USD $16,000 and additional fees for registration and special programs such as the International Baccalaureate.

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.