Our History

The International School of Monterey opened in the fall of 2001. In its first year of operation, ISM offered classes from kindergarten to fourth grade (K-4), adding a class each year thereafter. Now a K-8 school, ISM has thrived and rapidly built itself an admirable reputation, evidenced in the following accomplishments:

  • The first public international school in the world
  • Accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Council of International Schools
  • Selection as a “model charter school” by the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Recipient of a charter schools dissemination grant, which requires the sharing of our successful model with other public schools
  • Tens of thousands of volunteer hours performed by families, students, staff, and board members
  • Waiting list larger than actual number of students enrolled
  • Standardized test scores consistently among the highest in Monterey County

School Song

 

 

 

The Vision Statement for ISM
A world of understanding

The school motto
The world is our home.
We will make it better.