Mission, History, & Heritage

Our Mission: Preparing each student to thrive In life by elevating character and intellect in a challenging and diverse college preparatory environment.

Founded in 1909, Tallulah Falls School is an independent, co-educational international boarding and day school serving more than 500 students in grades four-12. Our mission is to prepare each student to thrive in life by elevating character and intellect in a challenging and diverse college preparatory environment. Nestled in the hills of Northeast Georgia, Tallulah Falls School is a distinctive gem that shines brightly in our community and throughout the world. TFS is focused on character development, service, leadership, academic excellence, and a strong culture of compassion and kindness. By nurturing these qualities, students become beacons of light in the world around them.

Portrait of a TFS Graduate

TFS graduates exemplify academic excellence and strong character.

Character Education at TFS

Character development is a core component of our mission.

Our Diverse Community

Tallulah Falls School - a place of culture and inclusion.

Origin of light in the mountains

Sparked by one woman’s dream, the legacy of Tallulah Falls School is established on a solid foundation with its bright light now a beacon for families seeking an affordable, first-class, college-preparatory education for motivated students. Throughout its decades-long existence on the rocky slopes of Cherokee Mountain, the school has evolved to meet the needs of its stakeholders. While Mary Ann Lipscomb dreamed of teaching area children to read, today’s TFS students are preparing for success in an increasingly sophisticated global economy.

History of TFS

Origin

In 1934, Arthur Brisbane, described as the “dean of American Journalism,” wrote an article about his visit to the Light in the Mountains for his column Today, which was read by 40 million people all over the world.

In part, it said: “If any man who has let his heart grow hard in the struggle against other men would like to feel as a man should feel once more before he dies, let him go to that school in the mountains of Georgia and see the children… Emotion you feel as you have not felt for many years, not since the days when life seemed real and everything seemed possible.”

Mildred Seydell’s story in The Atlanta Georgian summed up 25 years of achievements: “The school is called the Light in the Mountains because ignorance is darkness and knowledge is light…A small seed of a dream was planted, and it prospered. Now, after 25 years, it has blossomed into the blessed beauty of an institution which is training boys and girls into upright, intelligent, happy, healthy men and women.”

Early Years

On June 30, 1909, the Tallulah Falls Industrial School formally opened its doors. The school’s one building sat on the original five acres of land given to the school by Miss Sarah E. White.

Work was, from the very beginning, an integral part of the curriculum at the Tallulah Falls Industrial School. The school aimed to equip its students with practical skills that they could apply both at their mountain homes and in the world beyond. In addition, the school depended on the crops and livestock that students helped raise for food, as they could not afford to buy all the necessary goods to feed a growing school. Handwork, basketry, crocheting, and woodwork created by students were being sold as far away as Washington, D.C.

Statewide local tax laws enacted in 1919 meant that all Georgia counties would be able to provide their own schools, and in 1920, the state school superintendent recommended “the separation of the public school at Tallulah Falls from the Georgia Federation’s Industrial School.” The “leading men of Rabun County” insisted that they did not want a school of their own and requested that their children be sent to the existing school. Their request was granted, and Tallulah Falls School continued to be both a public and private institution for 50 more years.

In 1961, Tallulah Falls School received a special honor as it was recognized as one of thirty-five outstanding small high schools in the United States. It was the only school in Georgia to receive such an honor. Beginning with the 1970-1971 school year, after extensive correspondence and planning with the State Board of Education, Tallulah Falls School became a privately chartered institution and ceased accepting public funds for its operation.

Growth

The first international students came to Tallulah Falls School during the 1972-1973 school year. Geraldo Celso Menezes and Luiz Garcia, from Brazil, came to the school through the International Fellowship Program.

In 2007, Larry A. Peevy was appointed president and head of school. With a solid background in college administration, as well as experience in classroom teaching and boarding schools, Mr. Peevy was uniquely qualified to lead Tallulah Falls School. Not wasting any time, Mr. Peevy set about reorganizing the facilities in 2007, giving the middle school its own separate area and identity, and he worked to develop a college preparatory mission.

Today, hailing from every corner of the state, the nation, and the globe, we are a school full of diverse, intelligent, curious, and accepting young people motivated to lead and succeed. Enrollment is steady, with 500 students enrolled for the 2025-26 academic year This includes 102 boarding students representing 35 countries.