For the first time in about four years, the Anglo-American School has openings for new students in the spring term.


The school, split among three Moscow buildings, currently has 490 students in the pre-kindergarten to the 12th grades, and has room for about 510, said admissions officer Jill Hermann-Young.


Until the Western business community mushroomed six years ago, Hermann-Young said, there was no problem finding space for applicants. But since 1990, many have been placed on waiting lists as the school fulfilled its mandate to serve primarily the children of American, British and Canadian citizens.


However at Moscow's other English-language school, the British International School, headmaster Henry Searle said, "There are waiting lists in every year for about 10 students."


The British school, started earlier this year, has a current enrollment of 250 students. That will grow to 270 when the spring term begins in January and is likely to swell to 350 next fall as four more classrooms are added, Searle said.


The British school, with average annual fees of $7,350, is considerably cheaper than the Anglo-American School, which charges an average of $10,400 a year.


While Hermann-Young said Anglo-American School administrators did not know exactly why there were openings now, the president of the school's Parent Teacher Organization suggested that there were a number of contributing factors.


"I think probably the main reason is that the school has expanded and now there is more room," said PTO president Susan Crawford, who also cited the competition of the British International School. "The other school certainly has taken some children away. At least now the children have a choice."


A third factor, Crawford said, is that some parents may have simply grown weary of having their children on waiting lists for years on end.


Crawford said she doubted whether the mid-year openings are a danger sign for future enrollment.


"There are enough kids in Moscow who want English-language schooling to support both schools," she said.