International School of Brooklyn
🇺🇸 New York · Founded 2005 · IB / Blended · Ages 3–14
Reviewed by Priscilla Han · 2026-07-23
An independent, non-profit French-and-Spanish dual-language immersion school (est. 2005) in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, running the IB Primary Years Programme (Pre-K 3–Grade 5) and Middle Years Programme (6th–8th). NYSAIS-accredited and tied into the French (AEFE/Mlf) and Spanish education networks. Ends at Grade 8 — no high school, no IB Diploma — and, being Pre-K–8, has no exit-exam or university-placement data to publish. Tier capped at A: the US has no graded public inspectorate.
Curricula
IB, Blended
Age range
3–14
Languages of instruction
English, French, Spanish
Annual fees
SGD USD 40,206–52,537
Enrollment
386
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
PYP, MYP
Accreditations
NYSAIS, AEFE, Mission Laïque Française, Spanish Ministry of Education
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
The International School of Brooklyn (ISB) is an independent, non-profit day school founded in 2005. Planning began in 2003 under founder and founding Head of School Rebecca Skinner; ISB received its operational charter from the New York State Department of Education in September 2004, piloted immersion playgroups in 2004–2005, and launched its preschool with 16 students in Park Slope in September 2005. It grew through Prospect Heights and relocated to Carroll Gardens in September 2010. Its main campus is at 477 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 (reception/mailing at 192 Luquer Street), on the Carroll Gardens/Red Hook edge of Brooklyn. The current Head of School is Joe Santos.
ISB serves Pre-K 3 through 8th Grade (roughly ages 3–14) and reports 386 students currently enrolled. It is a day school only — no boarding — and does not operate a high school, so it ends at Grade 8 with no IB Diploma or other secondary-exit credential.
Academically, ISB is an IB World School combining language immersion with the IB framework: the Primary Years Programme covers Pre-K 3 through 5th Grade and the Middle Years Programme covers 6th–8th Grade. It is not Cambridge-authorized and does not run the IB Diploma (it stops at MYP). Each student follows a single immersion track — French OR Spanish — with instruction beginning at 100% in the target language in Pre-K 3/4, tapering to 90% in Kindergarten, 75% in Grades 1–3, and 50% in Grades 4–5, before Middle School shifts to majority-English course content. A third language is introduced in Grade 6. Instruction is delivered by faculty teaching in their native language.
Accreditation is anchored in NYSAIS and the school's IB World School status, alongside affiliations with the French AEFE and Mission Laïque Française networks and the Spanish Ministry of Education / ISA program — it does not hold US regional accreditation such as CIS or MSA. Tuition is fully published (2026–27: $40,206 Pre-K 3 up to $52,537 for Grades 6–8), with substantial need-based aid.
Honest positioning: a genuinely bilingual, IB-framework Pre-K–8 school with a distinctive dual-language (French/Spanish) offering and strong published transparency on fees, aid, and programme structure. Because it ends at Grade 8, there are no exit exams or university placements to report — families choosing ISB are choosing an early/middle-years foundation, not a graduating pathway.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Accredited by NYSAIS and authorized as an IB World School for both the PYP (Pre-K 3–Grade 5) and MYP (6th–8th), with additional recognition through the French AEFE/Mission Laïque Française and Spanish Ministry of Education networks — verifiable on the school's own pages. The United States has no graded public schools inspectorate, and ISB does not hold US regional accreditation like CIS or MSA, so the tier reflects accreditation and IB-authorization depth and is capped at A — S is reserved for schools carrying a genuine graded public inspection verdict.
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- Genuine dual-language immersion — a single French OR Spanish track from Pre-K, with a transparent, published target-language ratio by grade (100%→90%→75%→50%)
- IB World School authorized for BOTH the PYP (Pre-K 3–Grade 5) and MYP (6th–8th) — a continuous IB framework across the whole Pre-K–8 span
- Faculty teach in their native language (school-reported), reinforcing authentic linguistic and cultural fluency
- Documented language and learning support — an English Language Coordinator, extra support for English/French/Spanish acquirers, and grade-band Learning Specialists
- A third language is introduced in Grade 6, extending the multilingual model into Middle School
- NYSAIS accreditation plus AEFE, Mission Laïque Française and Spanish Ministry affiliations — bridging into both the French and Spanish education systems
- Exceptional financial transparency — fees fully published and substantial need-based aid ($3.4M to 32% of students in 2025–26, awards 5%–95% of tuition)
Trade-offs
- Ends at Grade 8 — there is NO high school, no IB Diploma, and no secondary-exit credential; families must transfer for grades 9–12
- Because it is Pre-K–8, there are no exit-exam results or university-placement data at all — outcomes must be judged on programme quality, not graduating results
- Does NOT hold US regional accreditation (CIS or MSA); quality assurance runs through NYSAIS and the IB plus French/Spanish national networks
- Immersion entry is language-gated in the upper primary years — applicants to Grades 1–5 must already speak, read and write French or Spanish at grade level
- Premium Brooklyn day-school fees (up to $52,537 for Grades 6–8 in 2026–27), plus a $5,000 deposit and ancillary charges; day school only, no boarding
- Single immersion language per student — families wanting both French and Spanish, or an English-medium core, are not the target fit
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓Families in Brooklyn seeking authentic French OR Spanish dual-language immersion from the early years within an IB framework
- ✓Internationally mobile or heritage-language families wanting bridges into the French (AEFE/Mlf) or Spanish education systems
- ✓Households prioritising a strong bilingual Pre-K-through-Grade-8 foundation and comfortable transferring for high school
- ✓Families who may need substantial need-based financial aid (a real, funded programme reaching about a third of students)
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families needing a continuous pathway through high school or an IB Diploma / A-Level exit credential (ISB stops at Grade 8)
- ✕Older, non-French/Spanish-speaking children seeking upper-primary entry (Grades 1–5 require grade-level proficiency in the target language)
- ✕Families who specifically require a US regionally accredited school (CIS/MSA) or an English-medium American/AP curriculum
- ✕Families needing boarding or living outside the Carroll Gardens/Brooklyn commute zone
Curriculum
An IB World School combining French/Spanish language immersion with the IB framework: the PYP covers Pre-K 3 through 5th Grade and the MYP covers 6th–8th Grade. It does NOT run the IB Diploma (the school ends at Grade 8) and is not Cambridge-authorized. Each student follows one immersion track — French OR Spanish — with target-language instruction of 100% in Pre-K 3/4, 90% in Kindergarten, 75% in Grades 1–3 and 50% in Grades 4–5; Middle School offers a multilingual and a bilingual path, and a third language is introduced in Grade 6. Instruction is delivered by native-language faculty.
Fees
Fully published for 2026–27: Pre-K 3 $40,206; Pre-K 4 $42,125; Kindergarten–5th Grade $47,626; 6th–8th Grade $52,537. A $5,000 deposit accompanies signed enrollment contracts and is credited against the tuition balance. Tuition covers books, field/overnight trips, classroom activities and materials, but excludes lunch, After School & Enrichment, Athletics, the Middle School laptop fee, and a $100 Parents' Association fee. Need-based aid is offered at all grade levels via the Clarity platform, with awards from 5% to 95% of tuition; for 2025–26 ISB gave over $3.4 million to 32% of the student body. French citizens may qualify for a French-government Bourse (Pre-K 3–5th Grade). Verify current figures directly with the school.
Admissions
The most common entry points are the Preschool years (Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, Kindergarten), with 6th Grade the Middle School entry point; other grades are welcomed too. The process includes an admissions tour, a parent interview (required Pre-K 4–5th Grade), and either a weekend playgroup visit (Pre-K 3/Pre-K 4/K) or a morning student visit with assessments (Grades 1–8). No standardized testing is required at any age. Grades 1–5 applicants must speak, read and write French or Spanish at grade level, and Middle School applicants who already speak French or Spanish complete a language assessment. Application-fee waivers are available. Confirm current details with admissions.
Campus Life
Located in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (NY 11231): the main campus is at 477 Court Street, with reception and mailing at 192 Luquer Street. ISB began in Park Slope in 2005, moved through Prospect Heights, and relocated to Carroll Gardens in September 2010. The community is diverse — the school reports students from 32 zip codes and that 35% identify as Black, Asian or Multiracial — with faculty teaching in their native language. Day school only; no boarding.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
Not applicable / not published. ISB is a Pre-K 3–8th Grade school with no high school, so there are no graduating cohorts, exit-exam results, or university destinations to report. Families should assess ISB on its early- and middle-years programme rather than on secondary outcomes, and plan a transfer for grades 9–12.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- ISB official — homepage (Pre-K 3–Grade 8, French & Spanish immersion, IB framework, native-language faculty, 32 zip codes) · 2026-07
- ISB official — About / Our Story (founded 2005 by Rebecca Skinner, 2004 charter, relocations, 386 students, Head Joe Santos) · 2026-07
- ISB official — The International Baccalaureate (IB World School; PYP Pre-K 3–Grade 5, MYP 6th–8th) · 2026-07
- ISB official — Language Immersion and Acquisition (single French OR Spanish track; target-language ratios by grade; third language in Grade 6) · 2026-07
- ISB official — Student Support (language support; Learning Support; Learning Specialists by grade band) · 2026-07
- ISB official — Tuition (2026–27 fees by grade; $5,000 deposit; Clarity need-based aid; French Bourse) · 2026-07
- ISB official — Admissions (entry points Pre-K 3/4/K and Grade 6; no standardized testing; French/Spanish language assessment for Grades 1–5) · 2026-07
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