Fontainebleau High School is a co-ed, public high school enrolling students in grades 9-12.  It is one of eight public high schools in St. Tammany Parish, located in Mandeville, Louisiana, a suburban community approximately thirty miles north of metropolitan New Orleans, LA.  Fontainebleau serves students from Covington, Abita Springs, and Mandeville, LA. Fontainebleau High School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and the Louisiana Department of Education. Fontainebleau offers a wide variety of required and elective courses including Honors, Advanced Placement, Gifted Talented, and college dual enrolled. In addition to these electives, Fontainebleau High School offers a wide array of career-oriented coursework including welding, drafting, construction, culinary, emergency medical technician, certified nursing assistant, and automobile technician.

 

But FHS’s history reveals so much more ……… let’s step back in time.

 

Aware of the ever expanding class sizes and overcrowding in the schools in St. Tammany Parish, the leaders in the district began planning the creation of a new high school. After years of effort and input into the design, and logistics of the location of the school, ground was broken in 1993.

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Fighting the weather; the school was finished in record time to open for the 1994-95 school year.      

After months of planning, controversy, speculation, and anticipation, the doors of Fontainebleau High School were opened to the students, teachers, administration, and the community. Starting the 1994-95 academic year was a novel experience for most of the student body. For the 9th graders, it was unique because it was their first experience at a high school. The sophomores stepped onto campus and instantly became the upper classmen. For both the ninth and tenth graders it was a new experience because they began the school year as the first students to walk the hallways of Fontainebleau. Still under construction, the FHS campus looked more like a construction site than a place of learning. Little inconveniences like no cafetorium, gymnasium, library, or athletic fields; gravel roads and parking lots, and bag lunches did not stop the mighty Bulldogs from working, and playing hard.

FHS opened the doors with approximately 800 students and 60 faculty members. In anticipation of a quick rise in student population athletics decided to play up competing against schools much larger. The hospitality of the other high schools allowed FHS to host home games on their campuses.  

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1994-1995: will forever be remembered as the first year the Bulldogs were united and on the prowl…

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1995-1996: The start of the 2nd year brought close to 500 new students. The campus changed as classrooms were added to the 300 science wing and the parking lots were paved.  With the addition of the 11th grade we played Varsity as well as Junior Varsity games where our new mascot, Spike, cheered us on to victory. Mark competitions started between the classes with the formation of the first Marks. The FHS class ring was designed and the first ring ceremony was held. School spirit intensified as students who only two years ago were attending different high schools, came together and showed Bulldog Pride.

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1996-1997:   This was a year of many firsts; first time with all 4 grade levels, first Junior-Senior Prom, first Senior Play, and first Senior Trip; and after sharing football stadiums with neighboring schools, FHS said good-bye to their hospitality and hosted their first home football game.  The football stadium with adjacent tennis courts marked the beginning of the DAWG POUND! The first students - the class of 1997- to enter Fontainebleau said good-bye as they waked across the stage on May 24th at Southeastern Louisiana University as the first graduating class of FHS. Changes this year created a whole new meaning for student life; the addition of the senior class brought the FHS community together creating memories, having fun, and proving that FHS is Optimus Optimorum.

Change became a central part of FHS’s history.  Student population and staff grew bringing change to the campus as classrooms, buildings, and athletic facilities were added yearly; change to our community as new shopping centers, schools and subdivisions tried to keep pace with the increasing population, and change to our way of life and in our beliefs as local, national and international events affected us.

 

1997 - 1998: The graduating Class of 1998 is the first class to be at FHS for all four years. The school hosted its first Homecoming; with the return of the first alumni for the game, the Bulldog community knew that this year was TRULY an example of what life in the Dawg pound is all about. The campus continued to expand and change with the addition of more students, more staff, and more classrooms - the 500 wing modular classrooms. The sports program was growing and getting stronger --the wrestling team had a great season and the boys’ soccer team was the first team to go to the playoffs while the first girls joined the golf team. Clubs and organizations such as Archery and Mock Trial grew bigger and better while others were added -- Quiz Bowl; and we held out first Powder Puff Football.

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1998 - 1999:  Change continues on the campus as The Bulldogs finally get a home – the football field house is built.  New additions to academic programs helped students advance in understanding classwork, a first place in The Louisiana Stock Market Game; and get a head start on planning their futures through Jobs for American Graduates and The Senior Academies. Academics played an important and integral role in the lives of FHS students as well as sports, mark events, and clubs. In just a short span of five years FHS established itself as worthy for competition in sports, academic excellence, and a school rich in tradition and spirit.   

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1999 - 2000:  FHS continues to grow in both number of students and campus buildings bringing yet more changes - the 600 wing modular addition. The retirement of its first faculty member for Fontainebleau occurred in January. FHS was rich in traditions and this year brought a new one – sitting in ‘The Kennel’ wearing camo cheering the basketball teams on to victory.

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2000 - 2001: “Who Let the Dawgs Out”! In just seven short years FHS was truly unleashed and on the prowl; 1700 strong students willing to participate in extracurricular activities, competing to represent their school well, maintaining high academic merit, and always devoted to exceed everyone’s expectations!  Bulldog pride and spirit was everywhere and there were great activities and school events for everyone; including our parents and community partners. Change this year? – just more classrooms - the 700/ 300 modular wings. 

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2001- 2002: Uniforms have arrived! For the first time students were required to wear a uniform; a red, black, or white polo with khaki colored bottom. Some students embraced this change others rebelled. The 300 wing modular were being moved to the front of the school in anticipation of the expansion of the 300 Science wing. 

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2002 - 2003: Change was coming again to the campus! Work began in the fall for the new softball/baseball fieldhouses; a welcome addition for the players in the spring. Construction began on the addition of six classrooms to the science wing, 20 classrooms to the 400 wing, and a performing arts center. A limited number of parking spots created long lines and only 80 juniors, the early risers getting to school at 5:00 a.m., were fortunate enough to get a permit. Hurricane Isidore blew through Mandeville on September 27th pushing back Homecoming to Oct. 11th; facing the powerhouse Covington High which we had never beaten before. But this time FHS rose to the challenge and was rewarded with its first victory over Covington.  Regardless of how many students pass through the doors, FHS has shown that it can adapt and meet future challenges. 

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2003 - 2004: As St. Tammany Parish grew so did Fontainebleau High. Since opening its doors in 1994 FHS more than doubled in size with 2100 students and 160 faculty members becoming the second largest high school in the state. This year also brought the largest freshman class with over 700 students.  As the year started FHS was under construction – again! The construction of the 300 Science wing and the performing arts auditorium took over valuable parking spots. For juniors and seniors the biggest worry on the first day of school was…..  “Will I get a parking pass?” It was like camping out to get a Back Street Boys concert ticket. Long lines formed, and those that got there early, received one of the coveted parking permits. Fontainebleau won its first state title in athletics – Girls Soccer. 

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2004 - 2005:  Still Growing!!  The largest high school in the state now with 2200+ students and 205 esteemed faculty members; and no elbow room in the mall during class changes.Changes to the campus were meant to be temporary; ways to expand and grow to accommodate the influx of students; the addition of portables – the 350, 360, and 370 wings. Students commonly referred to them as the “ghetto” and wondered if it would be a permanent addition. The auditorium opened changing life for the ‘Arts’ on campus; concerts, plays, talent shows could actually accommodate performances in a real performing arts venue. Fontainebleau beat Slidell High on the football field for the first time; but…. there were no changes to the campus, no major changes in student body or staff, and we settled into life as a Bulldog. 

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2005 - 2006: Hurricane Katrina – Nothing else needs to be said! And as tough as this event was on our own community, in true Bulldog fashion we opened our hearts and doors to students from 43 different schools from Orleans, Jefferson and St, Bernard parishes. The changes this year were not to the campus but in the campus, many of our friends relocated to other states and many other students moved into our community. Some families left taking our friends to new schools; many new families stayed continuing to call St. Tammany home. Whether the students left or stayed we rally around our time together because …… “Once a Bulldog, Always a Bulldog.”

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2006 - 2008:  Our attention turned from adjusting to changes to being #1.  Our focus in all aspects of high school life turned to being ‘The Best of the Best.’ Clubs continued to be formed representing our varied interests and talents, academics expanded into college dual enrollment courses and development of career technical offerings, athletics continued to excel, and life as a Bulldog was good. But then……

 

2009 - 2010:  Our time as ‘Comfortable FHS Bulldogs’ did not last long – change would come again!   And even though change had been the staple of Fontainebleau’s history, change this year was a little harder – many of FHS’s classmates, approximately half of the 9th and 10th grade and many staff members, were moved to the newly constructed high school – Lakeshore High. Even with the loss of these students, our population remained large at over 1900+ students. During athletics our friendships did not hold us back -- Lakeshore High became our new rival. Bulldogs continued to be unleased and on the prowl    -   snapping at the heels of the other high schools – change help mold us into the Bulldogs we were, the Bulldogs we are, and the Bulldogs we will be -   always on the prowl.

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2014 - 2015:  Twenty years old – As we look back we are proud of where our paw prints have carried us and look forward to the ever changing paths in the future.