French Immersion Schools in
New Orleans

New Orleans has the most concentrated network of French charter schools in the United States. 9 of the city’s 10 French-language schools are free public charters operating under the Recovery School District — the post-Katrina governance structure that transformed New Orleans into a nearly all-charter city. The result is unusual: families can access French immersion at no cost, without residency restrictions, through a lottery.

Three charter networks dominate: Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans (3 campuses: Johnson, McNair, Patton), International School of Louisiana (Dixon and Uptown campuses), and Edward Hynes Charter (Lake View and UNO campuses), plus Audubon Public Charter’s two campuses — together covering early childhood through high school. The private option is École Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans, an AEFE-affiliated school on the Uptown side.

New Orleans’ French bilingual tradition predates the charter movement by two centuries, rooted in the city’s Creole and Cajun heritage. The school network is also supported by CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana), the state agency that places French-certified teachers from France, Belgium, and Québec in Louisiana classrooms.