The underlying philosophy of the admissions policy and procedures is to ensure a quality English language education with a secular, American curriculum. Admission, enrollment, and annual re-enrollment to WBAIS are not automatic. WBAIS exists primarily to meet the needs of expatriate families whose children require an English language education and for whom, due to lack of local language acquisition, other schools are not a viable option. By charter, WBAIS gives preferential enrollment to dependents of U.S. citizen employees of the U.S. Government or contract employees for whom the U.S. Government directly pays tuition. Priority consideration will be given to applicants from expatriate families temporarily moving to Israel for the purpose of employment. In keeping with the core purpose of the school to maintain an American and internationally diverse population, the demographic balance is a determining factor in final admissions decisions.

Admissions decisions are made on the basis of an examination of school records, placement screening, personal interview, enrollment priorities (see below), standardized testing results, and available space. WBAIS may require an applicant to undergo a psycho-educational evaluation (at applicant’s expense) to help determine whether WBAIS is the appropriate placement.

In keeping with the by-laws of WBAIS, the following admissions policies and procedures have been established.

1. Students who provide records that document academic achievement, English language proficiency, student behaviors, and emotional adjustment that are age and grade appropriate may be accepted to WBAIS after completion of the admissions process. The admissions criteria are:

   • Intellectual capacity must be within the average range as measured by instruments acceptable to WBAIS.

   • Overall academic achievement must be at or approaching grade level (as measured by instruments acceptable to WBAIS).

   • Social, emotional, and behavioral development should be such that the student is able to function independently and productively in a classroom and school-wide environment. The child must exhibit behavior that demonstrates sufficient attention span, concentration, positive social interaction, and ability to cope with school behavioral expectations, so that he/she may benefit from instruction.​​​​​​

2. For children who need additional learning support: WBAIS accepts students with mild learning needs who meet the above admissions criteria and whose needs can be accommodated within the context and resources of WBAIS. A current psycho-educational evaluation and all Individual Education Plans (IEPs) must be submitted ahead of time, so that the admissions committee can review and make an initial assessment of whether WBAIS has a program to  meet the child’s needs. For a student with additional learning support needs, it is required that, prior to applying and accepting a post in Israel, information about the child be shared with the counselor for an initial review.

3. For children who are non-native English speakers: As part of the admissions process, the counselor and EAL (English as an Additional Language) specialist will evaluate all potential EAL students in order to determine that the student is capable of learning at the appropriate school level. In the High School, students need to have a working knowledge of English to be able to benefit from the academic program. By Grade 11, students should be able to take all courses in the mainstream program.

4. For Israeli children who are non-native English speakers: Experience has shown that significant issues may arise for children changing their language of instruction if they also have a need for additional learning support. Therefore, a psycho-educational evaluation will be required for students who will be changing their language of instruction, to provide information about them as learners and to help determine if WBAIS will be able to provide a program for them.

Placement in Early Years through Grade 5 will be determined by the administration based on the student’s age, evaluation of records from previous schools, admissions screening, and placement tests administered by WBAIS. Students enrolling in the Early Years program must be three years old and toilet trained on or before September 1 of the year of admission. Students enrolling in the Kindergarten program must be five years old on or before September 1 of the year of admission.

Students must spend at least their entire senior year at WBAIS to qualify for a diploma from the school. Students must be under the age of twenty years old at the time of graduation.

Enrollment Priorities

All candidates must meet the admissions criteria stated above, before they will be considered for admissions. The enrollment priorities are as follows:

1. All current WBAIS students (re-enrolling) who meet the academic and social profile of the AIS student body and have met their financial obligations to the school

2. Official U.S. dependents whose parents or guardians are employed by the U.S. Government (USG) and/or under contract from the USG

3. Other US and international students (currently overseas) with parents relocated to Israel for temporary company relocations or embassy employment who have no other schooling alternative.

4. Students transferring from other international schools or schools with an English-speaking, U.S. and/or international curriculum

5. Other U.S. citizen dependents (currently overseas) permanently moving to Israel.

6. Siblings of students in attendance

7. Children of local WBAIS faculty

8. Local students who demonstrate that they would significantly benefit from and contribute to the WBAIS program

The administration reserves the final right to accept or refuse any applicant who applies for admission to the school. 

Reviewed, revised and approved by the Administration on May 16, 2022