The International School of Louisiana (ISL) is a system of charter schools in Greater New Orleans. Two campuses are in New Orleans and one campus is in Metairie. The K-8 school offers a French immersion program and a Spanish immersion program. As of 2007 it was one of two New Orleans schools chartered by the State of Louisiana that is not a part of the Recovery School District (RSD).
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History
The school was founded in 2000 by Julie Fabian, Maria Redmann Treffinger, Jane Fitzpatrick, Shelley Stephenson Midura, and Ivan Baas-Thomas. The original location was at the First United Methodist Church in Mid-City, but the school relocated to Camp Street after hurricane Katrina.
In 2011 ISL had received more applications for the French immersion program than it had in any previous year. That year, its Algiers campus opened. It was the first language immersion school on the West Bank side.
In 2012 the Jefferson Parish campus opened. When it opened it had 328 students, a smaller number than originally anticipated.
Locations
The Camp Street Campus is located in the former Andrew Jackson Elementary School in the Lower Garden District (29.9363°N 90.0727°W / 29.9363; -90.0727 (International School of Louisiana, Camp Street Campus)). The Olivier Street campus is located in Algiers (29.9506°N 90.0496°W / 29.9506; -90.0496 (International School of Louisiana, Oliver Street campus)). The Jefferson Parish campus was initially established in a leased Jefferson Parish Public School System (JPPPS) building on South Clearview Parkway. This building was in Elmwood, in proximity to Harahan, and behind a shopping mall. On Tuesday April 2, 2013, the JPPPS board voted on whether the charter school would lease space in the former Ralph J. Bunche Academy in Metairie (29.9760°N 90.2269°W / 29.9760; -90.2269 (International School of Louisiana, Jefferson Parish campus)). The board approved the plans.
Academics
In 2014, according to the state rankings, the school system received an "A" grade. The Center for Education Reform in 2007 ranked the International School as one of the best charter schools in the United States.