# Austin International School

Austin International School (AIS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit private school located in northern Austin, Texas, United States, for students in pre-kindergarten (petite section) through 8th grade (4e). AIS's primary school program follows a seamless curriculum model of trilingual education, with students studying all subjects seamlessly in French, English, and Spanish. Its secondary school program follows two tracks, preparing students to pursue the IB Diploma, the French Baccalaureate diploma, and/or an accredited American high school diploma once they reach high school.

## History

In the late 1990s there were plans to open this school, with an initial proposed starting date of September 1999.
Austin International School, originally called the "Lycée Français d'Austin" (French School of Austin), was founded in April 2001, by the Consul General of France to Houston, the Honorary Consul of France in Austin, some Austin-based business leaders, and a group of French, American, and Francophone parents to meet the demands of a growing international and globally-minded population in Austin. It opened with a summer camp before its first school term in 2001. It opened as a school teaching in French, English, and Spanish. Jeanne Jeannin was the first head of the school.
AIS became the third French-American school established in Texas and the 33rd in the United States. In its first year, AIS enrolled 65 pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and elementary students, with a student body that included French, American, and other nationalities. In 2006, it received its first American accreditation and in 2007, it became the first and only school in central Texas to be accredited by the French Ministry of Education. In 2019, received additional regional accreditation, becoming one of three schools in the State of Texas to hold full accreditation from both a regional accrediting body and the French Ministry of Education.
In summer 2001 the school moved to a temporary location due to mold issues. It returned to the original facility in February 2002. In June 2003, enrollment was 68. At that time, Jean-Serge Joy became the head of the school. In October 2003, the enrollment was 72.
In 2019, AIS was awarded a Platinum Seal of Transparency by GuideStar.

## Curriculum

The school has Spanish medium classes to tie into the presence of the language in the state. In 2003, the school divided the instruction by language with about half of the lessons being conducted in French, 35% of them being conducted in English, and the rest being conducted in Spanish.

## Student body

In 2003, Americans made up about 75% of the students and/or their parents.

## Affiliations and accreditation

Austin International School's is the only school in central Texas to be fully accredited by the Agency for French Education Abroad (the overseas arm of the Ministry of National Education of France) and it is a partner organization of the Mission Laïque Française (MLF). Regionally, the school is fully accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS).
Through its accreditation, Austin International School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Texas Private Schools Association (TPSA), and is fully recognized by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC).