About Altamont
The Altamont School is a coeducational independent day school enrolling students in grades 5-12. Altamont is a small family with socio-economic, ethnic and religious diversity. We have an intensive college preparatory academic program with a personalized college search program, including an annual college tour. Altamont offers many opportunities for children to develop multiple talents by participating in arts, world languages, community service, clubs, class projects, science competitions and sports.
Altamont was established in 1975 through the merger of the Birmingham University School (BUS), founded in 1922, and the Brooke Hill School, founded in 1941 as the College Preparatory School for Girls.
The school’s light, open architecture is inspired by the natural beauty of its 28-acre wooded campus atop Birmingham’s Red Mountain. In addition to an exceptional collection of art displayed in every space, the main school building features 40 classrooms, science labs, a fine arts center, a student center, an art gallery, a sculpture garden, a computer center with 3-D printers and a laser engraver, a 6,300-volume library and studios for orchestra, art, photography and audio-visual production. Altamont's main campus athletic facilities include two gymnasiums with two basketball courts, three volleyball courts, a weight training facility, six tennis courts, a soccer field and a track with discus cage, shot put ring, long jump pit and pole vault. A second campus provides fields for soccer, baseball and softball.
A Tradition of High Achievement
Three-fourths of seniors maintain an A/B average in Altamont’s accelerated courses. Our students leave us ready for challenging college coursework. As well as joining other students in a variety of curricular and extracurricular activities, more than half of our students also compete on one or more of our athletic teams.
Our faculty includes more than 50 full- or part-time teachers regionally and nationally recognized as outstanding educators. They all teach in their certified fields of study, sponsor clubs, coach sports, and serve as academic advisors.
Altamont is governed by a Board of Trustees that includes parents, patrons, alumni and friends. We are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and we hold membership in the National Association of Independent Schools, among other affiliations.
The school year, from late August to late May, is divided into two terms with Thanksgiving, Holiday, Winter and Spring Breaks and several long weekends. Our school day runs from 8:20 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.