From this week, there are no obstacles to starting work, as the Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas handed a verbal note to AISV school director Dr. Amanda Sunderman, stating that Lithuanian institutions have completed all necessary internal legal procedures so that the school can lease and renovate state and municipal property for educational purposes for another 99 years.
“We know how important it is for a foreign diplomat or businessman planning to move to Vilnius to find a reliable place for their children’s education. AISV plays this important role. This is your contribution to promoting direct foreign investment and the growth of the Lithuanian economy,” said the Speaker of the Seimas while handing the note to the director.
Investment in the international school – benefits for Vilnius
“This decision ensures the stability of the AISV school and the ability to confidently plan the future in Vilnius for decades ahead. This decision is important for the city in strengthening international relations with its strategic partners,” said Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas at the note handover event.
According to the mayor, international schools like the International American School in Vilnius complement the public education system, “providing a different educational tradition for our children and the children of guests residing here.”
“This is a good signal that Vilnius is a modern, open city, growing both through investments and investments in the education sector. So we are very pleased with this partnership, we are happy and readily approved AISV’s extension of the lease agreement for 99 years,” said V. Benkunskas at the event commemorating the agreement.
For the first reconstruction phase alone, the International American School in Vilnius plans to allocate 4 million euros.
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Investments for the general reconstruction of the secondary school building will begin next year. The building, constructed in 1965 and formerly a kindergarten, will be transformed into a modern, high energy class building with modern heating, heat recovery, ventilation, and other systems. The basement floor will be expanded, and a third floor will be added to the two-story building. This will allow for more classrooms and corridors that meet the highest modern standards. Reconstruction work will not interrupt the learning process, and after completing the first phase, two more reconstruction phases are planned, with a total investment of about 10 million euros.
Future leaders and change makers are growing
“Today we celebrate the news that we will be able to carry out our international educational mission in this building for another 99 years. We live in challenging times when human connections and mutual understanding are more important than ever. AISV strives to create conditions for children to grow into future leaders, change makers, and hopefully one day – leaders of a peaceful global world,” said AISV director Dr. Amanda Sunderman at the event, thanking that “the support of Lithuania and the city of Vilnius for the International American School in Vilnius has been invaluable.”
This 99-year lease agreement signing is an important step in cooperation between the Lithuanian and US governments.
The non-profit organization AISV, established based on an agreement between the Lithuanian and US governments, is the first international school in Lithuania, providing education in English and successfully operating for 33 years. Almost half of the children studying at the school are Lithuanian citizens who have a unique opportunity to learn alongside peers from more than 30 countries. The school is accredited by three international organizations – CIS, NEASC, and the International Baccalaureate Organization – indicating a high level of teaching quality.
AISV conducts its educational process at two locations: the primary school is located in a newly built building on Srovės Street, and the secondary school in the aforementioned building on Subačiaus Street.
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