The American Cooperative School of Tunis (ACST) is a private, non-profit, co-educational day school. The school is designed to afford children of all nationalities an education similar to that offered by schools in the United States. ACST was founded in 1959 by the parents of elementary and middle school children in the American business and diplomatic community, and while approximately 25% of the student population are U.S. citizens, the school's international student body also includes children of approximately sixty nationalities. A ninth grade was added in 1982 and a tenth grade in 1993. With the addition of grades eleven and twelve in1995-96, the school now offers instruction in preschool through grade twelve and offers both a US high school and IB diploma. The first seniors graduated in June of 1997. A nine-member Board of Governors elected by the school's parents governs ACST.