Lausanne Collegiate School (; previously Lausanne School for Girls) is an independent, coeducational college-placement school in Memphis, Tennessee. With grades for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, the school has a sizable international population, with foreign nationals comprising of the student body, representing 68 different countries.
With a -year history beginning in 1926, the previously single-sex boarding school has become a co-educational day school with grades Pre-K12. An International Baccalaureate (IB) school since 2009, Lausanne adopted the program for all grades in 2018. In 2017 it partnered with Fujian's Xiamen #1 School to open another fully-IB school in Xiamen, China.
The international school has adopted contemporarily-new methods and attitudes throughout the years. The current campus has specially-designed playground equipment, supports several academic and athletic teams, and was a filming location for 1993's The Firm.
History
Originally a single-sex school, the Lausanne School for Girls first opened its doors in 1926. At its outset, the school was jointly managed by Emma DeSaussure Jett, Sophia Alexander Gardner, Bessie Statler, and Florence Goyer Taylor. The school was first located at 1649 Central Avenue, in a home previously called the "Cary House"; The Commercial Appeal called the building especially suited to schooling with the possibility of expanding it in the future. Lausanne began accepting both sexes of students for the 1966–67 academic year.
Boarding
Lausanne credited a Mrs. L. K. Thompson for the school's history of boarding students. Thompson, a "benefactress whose name was almost synonymous with the school", had friends in Little Rock, Arkansas, who wanted their children enrolled at Lausanne. After putting up the girls in her attic, similar demand led the school to construct a dormitory.
Lausanne's co-educational transition was also the heyday of its boarding program, whose numbers hovered around 100. The 1970s saw a decline in demand for boarding schools, and when Lausanne's number dropped, some dormitories were transformed into classrooms. By the 1990–91 academic year, Lausanne had 285 students and only 18 boarders—four of whom were from East Asia; in early 1992, it was the only girls' boarding program in Shelby County, Tennessee. Six months later, with only eight boarders, Lausanne ended its history of boarding; four seniors were diverted to private homes for their last year of school. Though it was estimated that 18 boarders would be financially sufficient to re-board students, Headmaster Elder was doubtful of the program's odds for resurrection.
Leadership
In July 1991, Lausanne headmaster Logan Malone resigned his position to join the Mid-South Foundation for Medical Care. For the 1991–92 academic year, board member Toni Watson served in Malone's stead while a full-time headmaster was headhunted. On July 1, 1992, New Orleans native George B. Elder (born ) took the top spot at Lausanne. Elder expressed interest in broadening awareness of Lausanne, shedding its "school for girls" image, and increasing enrollment. The Lausanne board of directors expressed excitement about Elder's experience (headmastering four previous schools), "his fund-raising ability, which is always a consideration for a private school; his attitude; his interest in athletics and the theater. He just has it all." Elder's first year at Lausanne saw 64% increased enrollment.
Academics
A private school in Memphis, Tennessee, Lausanne was the number one college placement school in Shelby County, Tennessee.
Specialty programming
International Baccalaureate
Lausanne has been an International Baccalaureate school since December 7, 2009.
Beginning in 2018, all Lausanne students from pre-kindergarten up began participating in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), a curriculum where, instead of focusing on students regurgitating correct answers, "the teacher's role is about helping the students come up with the right question". Compared with college-level work, Lausanne's admissions director—Laura Trott—said that the IBDP is "not about just one class or checking off one box [...] It's really understanding that all those strong reading and writing skills tie in with all those mathematical skills and critical-thinking skills."