American International School – Riyadh

American International School – Riyadh
American International School – Riyadh
	Official Logo of the American International School - Riyadh
Location
	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Information
Type	Independent
Established	1963
Superintendent	Colin Boudreau
Faculty	119
Number of students	1400+
Website	www.aisr.org

The American International School – Riyadh (AIS-R) (previously known as American Preparatory School of Riyadh, RICS and SAIS-R^[2] is an independent, non-profit, K-12, coeducational day school following an American-based curriculum with a focus on international perspectives. The IB Diploma Program is also offered in the high school. The school was established in 1963 and is located in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh.

History

The school that is known today as the American International School – Riyadh (AIS-R) was first formed by parents in 1963 and served students from kindergarten through third grade with only seven students enrolled. In 1965, what was previously called APS merged with a Ford Foundation school to form the Riyadh International Community School (RICS).^[2] As the capital of Riyadh grew between 1965–74, so too did the school's student body. Between 1974-79, RICS' enrollment increased rapidly from 400 students to more than 1,500. In 1977, after several moves to accommodate increasing enrollment, the school opened on its next site in South Riyadh. In 1982, the school's name was changed again, this time to the Saudi Arabian International School - Riyadh (SAIS-R). The school has grown considerably since its inception, however, its peak enrollment of 2,750 students occurred in the 1984-85 school year.^[2] Today, on the school's new campus, enrollment is near capacity with more than 1600 students from more than 55 nations.^[3]^[4] With the school's growth in enrollment came the expansion of curriculum, facilities, services, programs, and grade levels. The school's name was once again changed to its present name - AIS-R - in 1999.^[2] In 2014, AIS-R moved to its new campus in the northern region of Riyadh. The campus was built in cooperation with Al Bustan Village (a 1200 unit western - residential compound).

In 2023, AIS-R celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Academic program

A majority of High School students undertake the full IB Diploma. All students take internal examinations and some take DP courses and sit for external examinations.^[5]