In Lafayette Parish, most Catholic families face the big school decision twice: once at kindergarten and again after 8th grade, because the parish elementary schools stop at 8 and the Catholic high schools start at 9. The LA GATOR award belongs to the student, so it moves to the new school. What changes is the price, the commute and, for some families, whether an STO scholarship can come along.
The schools that end at 7 or 8
| School | City | Grades | K-12 students | STO 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady of Fatima School | Lafayette | PK-8 | 797 | — |
| Cathedral Carmel School | Lafayette | PK-8 | 717 | — |
| St. Pius Elementary School | Lafayette | PK-8 | 611 | — |
| St. Genevieve School | Lafayette | PK-8 | 503 | — |
| St. Cecilia School | Broussard | PK-8 | 438 | — |
| Sts. Leo-Seton School | Lafayette | PK-8 | 429 | — |
| St. Michael School | Crowley | PK-8 | 405 | ✓ |
| St. Bernard School | Breaux Bridgee | PK-8 | 396 | ✓ |
| Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic School | Scott | PK-8 | 339 | — |
| St. Ignatius School | Grand Coteau | PK-8 | 302 | ✓ |
| Holy Family Catholic School | Lafayette | PK-8 | 223 | ✓ |
| Rayne Catholic Elementary School | Rayne | PK-8 | 200 | ✓ |
| Carencro Catholic Elementary School | Carencro | PK-8 | 181 | ✓ |
| Our Mother of Peace School | Church Point | PK-8 | 168 | ✓ |
Approved schools ending at grade 7 or 8 with at least 90 K-12 students. Source: LDOE 2025-26 BESE-approved list; TDC 2024-25 list.
Where they go next
| School | City | Grades | K-12 students | STO 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas More Catholic High School | Lafayette | 9-12 | 1,063 | — |
| Teurlings Catholic High School | Lafayette | 9-12 | 886 | ✓ |
| Catholic High School | New Iberia | 4-12 | 622 | ✓ |
| Lafayette Christian Academy | Lafayette | 8-12 | 377 | ✓ |
| Notre Dame High School | Crowley | 9-12 | 307 | ✓ |
| Episcopal School of Acadiana | Cade | 6-12 | 251 | ✓ |
| Hanson Memorial School | Franklin | 6-12 | 150 | ✓ |
| Northside Christian School | Crowley | 8-12 | 105 | — |
Families also move into the upper grades of the K-12 schools, including Ascension Episcopal, the two Westminster campuses, John Paul the Great Academy and the parish K-12 schools outside the city.
What changes in the money
High school tuition is usually higher than a parish elementary school's parishioner rate, while the award stays at $5,243, $7,626 or the IDEA amount. Expect the balance to grow at grade 9. STO participation also changes: of the two Lafayette Catholic high schools, one was on the 2024-25 STO list and one was not, so a family relying on an STO award should check before choosing.
A student who held a Louisiana Scholarship Program voucher at an elementary school loses the protected voucher amount when moving to a new school, and is placed in the standard tiers.
Timing
Ask each high school for its admissions and placement-test dates, which may fall before the March LA GATOR window. Do both, and renew the account in the spring even if the high school decision is still open.
Questions for a high school
- What is the all-in cost for grade 9, including fees billed through Odyssey?
- Do you take STO scholarships for 2026-27?
- Which dual-enrollment courses do you offer with UL Lafayette or South Louisiana Community College?
- Do you offer need-based aid, and do you count the account before deciding it?