History
The first school taught in English in Aruba was opened in Seroe Colorado in September 1929. It was owned and operated by the Lago Oil and Transport Company to provide schooling for the expatriates’ children. During the 1960s, the school also opened its doors to dependents of island residents on a tuition basis. With the closing of Lago in 1985, the parents of the remaining students formed the International School of Aruba (ISA), a nonprofit foundation, to ensure the continuation of English language instruction on the island. In March 2004, the Board of Directors passed the governance and ownership of ISA to the International School Services (ISS), a not-for-profit organization of Princeton, New Jersey.
In September 2005, ISA celebrated the 75th anniversary of American international education in Aruba as well as the groundbreaking for the new campus. In August 2006, ISA moved to its new more central location in the Wayaca Residence. From this improved position, ISA has been able to reach more of the island's population.
After decades of excellent education in an area known as the Colony, ISA’s new location is more conveniently located to Aruba’s capital city, Oranjestad. The campus gazes upon the nearby Hooiberg, a haystack shaped mountain, and inspiration to reach for the even greater heights in the programs offered. The campus boasts a turf soccer field (the first in Aruba), beach tennis courts, and a new Visual and Performing Arts Wing. This year the school will celebrate it’s 95th anniversary!
Additionally, the International School of Aruba has been officially affiliated with the Stichting Nederlands Onderwijs in het Buitenland (NOB) since 1993. The NOB supports Dutch education abroad and ensures continuity with the Dutch curriculum. This recognition further affirms ISA’s commitment to maintaining educational standards compatible with those of the Netherlands, within its Dutch language program.
ISA believes learning is like breathing. Students inhale through reading, listening, and using all of our senses. Students exhale by writing, speaking, and demonstrating their creativity. Our students are not waiting for the future- they embrace the challenges created by real life. Our students use what we learn to have an impact on the world today. From restoring coral reefs to designing prosthetic limbs, to initiating humanitarian aid to countries in crisis, our students take what they learn and contribute now.
The International School of Aruba was owned and managed by International Schools Services (ISS), starting in 1995 and joined the Quality Schools International (QSI) family of schools in 2026.
About Quality Schools International
Quality Schools International has a recent history. In 1991, the political structure of the world began a rapid transition. Great changes took place in the former USSR and in areas formerly under its sphere of influence. Combining this recent history with experience in the school restructuring process leading to higher success in schools, QSI was launched.
Quality Schools International was founded as a non-profit, educational organization, with a view to offering opportunities in education for expatriates in new countries.
Today, QSI is an organization offering excellence in education with 35 schools in 29 different countries on five continents including at four locations in the Caribbean – Aruba, Belize, Venezuela and Suriname.
It is an exciting time to be in the world and to be involved in education! QSI looks forward to providing excellence in education for international children living in many countries and to providing career opportunities for caring and competent educators.