Email: american.school@acst.intl.net
Web: www.acst.net
2010-2011
The American Cooperative School of Tunis (ACST) is a private, coeducational day school, which offers an educational program from prekindergarten through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. The School was founded in 1959. The school year comprises 4 terms from late August to mid-June.
Organization: The School is governed by a 9-member Board of Governors elected for a two-year term by the general membership of the ACST Association, made up of parents and teachers. Membership is automatically conferred on the parents or guardians of the children enrolled in the School and on full-time teachers employed in the School. The director of ACST serves as the executive officer (non-voting) of the Board.
Curriculum: The curriculum essentially follows guidelines of the American Education Reaches Out (AERO) Program. In grades 11-12, the School offers a program leading to a U.S. academic diploma and the International Baccalaureate diploma. In addition to core subjects of reading/literature, English language and composition, mathematics, social studies, science, French and German, the curriculum includes physical education, music, art, computers, and Arabic. Taking advantage of its unique location, the School offers a Tunisian Studies program, which gives students an in-depth look at the history, culture, and customs of Tunisia. English-as-a-Second-Language is provided for all students who are not proficient in English language skills. The School is staffed to meet the needs of children with mild or moderate special needs but less able to accommodate those with severe learning and/or physical disabilities. In June of 2010, ACST graduated 23 students. The entire group of 12th graders achieved the American diploma, and 14 received the full IB diploma. The School is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the Council of International Schools, and the International Baccalaureate. All of these accreditations were successfully renewed during the 2009-2010 school year.
Faculty: In the 2010-2011 school year, there are 62 full-time and 8 part-time faculty members, including 39 U.S. citizens, 11 host-country nationals, and 20 persons of other nationalities.
Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, enrollment was 617 (PK: 30; K-grade 5: 289; grades 6-8: 135; and grades 9-12: 163). Of the total, 131 were U.S. citizens, 41 were host-country nationals, and 445 were of other nationalities. Of the U.S. enrollment, 45 were dependents of U.S. Government direct-hire or contract employees, and 86 of either U.S. business and foundation employees or other private U.S. citizens.
Facilities: The School is located on a 7-acre campus with completely new or renovated buildings dedicated to pre-school, elementary, middle and high school. A three-year expansion project was completed in May 2006 and includes a new elementary playground space with new equipment, an amphitheatre and green space. The admin/preschool building contains an elementary library with an amphitheater and elementary computer lab. For the upper school there are two science labs, two computer labs, two art rooms and the main library with more than 12,000 volumes and a computer research area. Other buildings house a large music classroom, school store, copy center and warehouse. The School has a full gym/auditorium (with three classrooms), a second newly constructed gym, a cafeteria and a regulation sized grass-covered soccer/softball field with a 400-meter track being renovated this year. An on-campus parking garage for 74 vehicles was completed in 2007. The School shares use of a newly constructed 25-meter swimming pool located at the nearby U.S. Embassy. Bus transportation is available to and from the School from most residential areas of Tunis, La Marsa, Gammarth, El Manar and Carthage.
Finances: In the 2010-2011 school year, over 99% of the School's income derives from tuition and fees. Annual tuition rates are as follows: PS (half day): $5,510; PS (full day): $9,190; K.-grade 5: $18,490; grades 6-8: $19,710; and grades 9-12: $20,770. The School also charges grades K-12 students a one-time admission fee of $9,600; an annual capital levy of $1,600; a one-time $120 entrance testing fee; and a $1,330 per year optional bus fee. There are no additional fees for academic support services English-as-a-Second-Language, Reading, and Special Needs) unless there are exceptional needs for learning disabilities. Individual students taking the exams must pay IB testing fees. (All fees are quoted in U.S. dollars.)
