The international school sector is undergoing a shift toward nontraditional delivery, where for-profit companies are serving local populations instead ofexpatriates. Poole and Bunnell (2023) have presented three metaphors to theorize these changes, and our study seeks to expand on these with empirical evidence, through an analysis of what two Swedish school companies operating abroad conceive as “international” and “national” elements in their offering the new national settings. Empirical data from five schools in India and Spain were analyzed. In conclusion, further theorizing of power asymmetriesis needed and an alternative metaphor is suggested.