Dart has submitted planning applications for a new early childhood centre and high school facilities for Cayman International School at Camana Bay.  The US $60 million expansion will almost double the school’s capacity to 1,100 students.

In partnership with International Schools Services, a US-based non-profit organisation with a global portfolio of more than 300 schools, the expansion will provide additional places and new learning opportunities for schoolchildren aged 2 to 18.

Due to high demand for pre-school and primary places in Cayman schools, the Early Childhood campus will be built first, with construction slated to finish in August 2019 in time for the new school year.   The dedicated facility is designed to give the school’s youngest students, in Nursery through Pre-K 4, plenty of space to play and move and will have its own courtyard garden, library and administration office.

The high school building, due to be complete in 2020, provides open work spaces that encourage collaboration and project-based learning in keeping with the teaching philosophy at Cayman International School.  There will also be facilities for visual arts, music, drama, science and “maker” labs.

Architects Perkins+Will, based in Miami, Florida, have collaborated closely with Principal Jeremy Moore, parents and students, to customise designs that will meet both current and future needs of a growing student body.

“The impact of architecture on educational practice cannot be understated,” said Moore. “As a forward-looking organisation, CIS will thrive in the modern purpose-built spaces, educational experiences for students will be enhanced, and new levels of excellence will be achieved.”

The expansion represents the continuation of a partnership between Dart and International School Services which began in 2006 when Cayman International School moved to Camana Bay.  Over the past 12 years, the school has grown from 206 students to 630 and has a waitlist for admission at many grade levels.

“The new facilities will not only increase capacity but also the range of educational offerings available,” said Ian Downing, Dart’s chief financial officer and a director of the KBD Foundation.  “International School Services shares our vision to provide world-class education at Cayman International School for students across the Cayman Islands, today and for generations to come.”

IMAGE: A rendering of the Cayman International School campus showing the placement of the new high school and early childhood building.

SOURCE: https://camanabay.com/times/cis-expansion-plans-revealed/