International School of Brussels

The International School of Brussels (ISB) is an English-language international school with grades spanning from pre-school to high school. Its 40 acre campus lies in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort.

History
The International School of Brussels opened in October 1951 as the American School of Brussels with four teachers and twenty-seven students between the ages of 5 and 11. It was first established to accommodate U.S. Department of Defense military personnel and their families living in Brussels. It was located in the Brussels commune of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre.

By the end of the 1953 term, the school had about 100 students and had moved to its current location at the Château des Fougères, in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort. It changed its name from the American School of Brussels to the International School of Brussels.

In 1966, a new High School was opened, which however later became the Middle School building. In 1967, the currently used Elementary School was opened.

In its early years, the entire school was housed in the old Château des Fougères. ISB became an International Baccalaureate school on 1 January 1977 making it the 50th IB school worldwide. Additionally, the first International Festival was hosted in 1977, a festival which celebrates different cultures in the school.

In February 2006, the school board opted to begin fundraising because it determined that the tuition charged to its students was insufficient for its needs.



Buildings and campus
ISB is located on a 162,134.6 m2 wooded campus. Green is the predominant colour on campus. Surrounding the school is a forest, with entries to the Brussels region's forest trails across the campus.

An outdoor track, performing arts center, two gymnasiums, and 15 ha of playing fields and woods are located on the campus.

The 19th-century building called the "Château" is the school's administration building. Designed with pillars, the building houses a reception area that hosts parents of students. The remaining buildings include the Early Childhood Centre (ECC), the Elementary School (ES), the Middle School (MS) and the High School (HS), the Annex, the theatre, the International Community Centre (ICC) and various sports facilities.

Academic buildings
Most classes at ISB are housed in one of four main buildings.


 * Early Childhood Centre (ECC): students aged $2 1/2$–8
 * Elementary School (ES): students aged 8–12
 * Middle School (MS): students aged 12–15
 * High School (HS): students aged 15–19

Additional buildings

 * The Metairie hosts music programs.
 * The International Community Centre, more commonly known as the ICC holds additional facilities and rooms.

Academics
A total of 45 IB courses are offered.

Demographics
As of 2022, it had 1,350 students ranging in age from 3–18. The students originate from 70 countries.

Tuition and Finance
The tuition for students ranges from €21,650 to €46,725 depending mainly on age.


 * Preschool: 21,650 Euro
 * Pre–Kindergarten: 23,985 Euro
 * Kindergarten: 36,190 Euro
 * Grades 1 & 2: 38,975 Euro
 * Grades 3–6: 39,680 Euro
 * Grades 7–9: 44,010 Euro
 * Grades 10–12 (13): 46,725 Euro

Intensive Learning Support (ILS) is an extra 23,755 euros on top of the grade level fee. Revenue in 2018–2019 school year, the school's revenue was 54,166,092 euros and their expenses being 54,760,194 euros.

Athletics
The ISB hosts a large quantity of sports programs, such as baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, swimming, American football, football, volleyball, field hockey, tennis, softball, and track & field. The ISB is one of the few international schools in the world which also offers American football as a sport.