Atlanta International School


Atlanta International School is a private elementary, middle and high school in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. An International Baccalaureate School, it was formed in 1984. In December 2011, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution described it as "one of the city's premier private schools".
Faculty, parents and students at Atlanta International School represent more than 93 countries and speak more than 50 languages; approximately half of AIS families are from the United States and half are international.
AIS is accredited by the Council of International Schools, AdvancED and the Southern Association of Independent Schools and authorized by International Baccalaureate to offer IB programs.

History

The school opened in September 1985 in a schoolhouse rented from Sardis United Methodist Church in Buckhead with 51 students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade. In July 1987, AIS moved into facilities located on Long Island Drive, acquired from the Fulton County Board of Education. By September of that year, the roll had grown to 193 students in four-year-old kindergarten through eighth grade. Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 were added in subsequent years, with the first graduates receiving their diplomas in June 1992. Enrollment increased throughout, exceeding 900 students in 2008.
Under a long-term agreement with the Atlanta Board of Education, valid through the year 2045, AIS moved its campus in 1995 to its current location, site of the former North Fulton High School. The building was designed by renowned Atlanta architect Philip Shutze, and renovations to the campus have sought to retain the historical and architectural integrity of the buildings. The campus includes science laboratories, a large library with computer facilities, an auditorium, The Lademacher Performing Arts Center, fine arts areas and an athletic complex including a gymnasium and a new soccer field and eight-lane track. In 2001, AIS secured a 50-year lease of the North Fulton Drive campus and purchased contiguous acreage.
The Adair Art, Science and Design Center, which integrates the disciplines of art, design technology and science, opened at the start of the 2009–2010 school year. It was dedicated on October 14, 2010 by Anne Cox Chambers in honor of Vee and Dick Adair. In 2012, AIS opened an Early Learning Center for 3K and 4K students, who participate in a full-immersion preschool program in French, German and Spanish.

Notable alumni

The Atlanta International School has been home to many events, as well as summer camps, and guest speakers. Events that have taken place at the school include: