SCHOOLS
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
The United Nations International School (UNIS) gives priority to families affiliated to the UN. Children that turn 5 before August 31 can enter Kindergarten. The UN pays some tuition in education grant up to maximum if you are eligible. UNIS has students from Kindergarten all the way to High School. About 1/3 of the students are affiliated with the UN. UNIS is a great benefit for UN staff because otherwise admission to a New York private/charter schools is a demanding process and most private schools are more expensive. UNIS as also an excellent ESL program (English as a second language) which is free and that helps new students with poor or no English skills during months or years to excel in English. UNIS has also a francophone program where students are allowed to study several subjects in French. The Spanish program is being initiated in 2016 in Middle School also. In UNIS students study French or Spanish since Kindergarten (at different levels) and in 7th grade a second foreign language is introduced and the children are asked to choose between 8 languages: Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese or German. This second language can also be studies at beginners level or mother tongue.
OTHER INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN MANHATTAN:
- British International School, located next door to the UNIS
- Avenues, Chelsea
- Dwight School, the Upper West Side
- Leman School in the Financial District
- The NY International School(up to 8th grade) opened in 2015 in the Upper East Side
- Nordanglia School(up to 8th grade)
FRENCH SCHOOLS:
- Lycée Français de New York, in the Upper East Side
- EINY - Ecole Internationale de New York
- Lyceum Kenned,y in Midtown
- New York French-American Charter School
- NY French American School of New York in Westchester County
- Bi-Lingual French/English Public School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Notes:
-There is a French School Association.
-Most of these schools are more expensive than UNIS, and therefore the education grant coverage may be lower. Above a certain threshold amount, the UN does not cover the tuition. This amount was about $45,000 in 2017/2018. Some of the most fashionable private schools in NYC are girls or boys only, all more expensive than UNIS. Small parochial schools (specially catholic schools) are very inexpensive (some are 1/4 of UNIS) and may take children from 2-3 years old. The UN education grant has traditionally only covered school from Kindergarten but they may start covering Pre-K (4 years olds) starting 2017/18.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- On the website of the NY Board of Education you will find what streets belong to what schools (school zoning).
- Other interesting website is http://insideschools.org.
