2020-2021 School Year Preview
September 11, 2020
Now that the boarding students have settled in and our first two days of classes are coming to an end, we are excited to report back on some positive numbers and an overall positive outlook, despite the challenges we have faced and will face for some time to come.
For the first time, as far back as we can remember, there are more new students than returning students. This is most likely due to our dramatically-increased online presence which showcases many positive features of our wonderful school.
Additionally, during these unprecedented times, our small, caring, family-like community is quite appealing to any parent who is concerned for their child’s health but also realizes that –in the grand scheme of things– a pandemic is for the short-term and quality education is a life-long investment. Regardless of the reasons behind this increase, the new students to the school are already bringing a lot of positive energy and seem eager to join the community.
The increase in new students has undoubtedly led to an overall increase in our student population as well. There are presently 10 more students enrolled than last year at this time and the number of applicants who wish to join in November or January has also seen a significant rise recently. Whether these student applicants actually join us or not will be dependent, of course, upon the level of health threat here in Salzburg at that time.
Not only are the student body numbers up, but also are the number of nationalities represented. Currently, we have 27 nationalities represented at AIS-Salzburg for the 2020-2021 school year. Of these nationalities, there are no more than 8 of any one nationality, thus emphasizing the “international” in the American International School-Salzburg name.
Even with this increase in the student body numbers, our student:teacher ratio remains below 6:1; maintaining a critical aspect of our 44-year old academic program which has resulted in many success stories and a high number of graduates who were not only very well-prepared for university studies, but went on to achieve great things in their personal and professional lives.
There are other interesting facts about the 2020-2021 AIS-Salzburg student body: The male-to-female ratio of almost 1:1; a large ‘bulge’ of students in grade 11; and, potentially, a very large graduating class in 2022. If this trend continues, it is possible we see a split senior class for the 2021-2022 school year in order to keep the classroom sizes small and the level of learning as high as possible.
What the numbers can’t tell you, is that the overall feeling and atmosphere within the school this September is positive and focused this first week. It is quite apparent that everyone—both the staff members and students—are happy to be here and get on with their education next to friends and with their teacher