LA GATOR at Hanson Memorial School
Hanson Memorial School holds accredited status on the state's 2025-26 BESE-approved list. That approval is what allows a family's LA GATOR account to pay the school directly, provided the school completes its yearly Odyssey registration, a step the state does not report publicly. The school's Brumfield v. Dodd approval, which any school serving state-funded students needs, is dated 1976.
The state list shows 150 K-12 students, which puts it at number 37 by enrollment among the 49 approved schools in the eight parishes that reported a figure.
It is one of the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Lafayette, whose territory covers the eight parishes on this site except Morgan City. Diocesan parish schools usually quote a parishioner rate and a non-parishioner rate, and the difference is the first number to ask about.
Students arrive here at grade 6, so the account moves with them from another school. The nearest approved schools that end at grade 7 or 8 are St. Cecilia School, St. Bernard School, Our Lady of Fatima School, Cathedral Carmel School. A protected Louisiana Scholarship Program amount ends when a student leaves the school where the voucher was used; the standard tiers apply after a transfer.
It was also on the state's 2024-25 Tuition Donation Credit list. For a household at or under 250% of the federal poverty level, that means an STO scholarship can be added after LA GATOR, with the two together capped at the school's actual tuition and fees.
In the federal Private School Survey for 2023-24, the school reported 142 students, 16 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio near 8.9 students per teacher. Listed memberships: National Catholic Educational Association.
Adding up the funded years
From grade 6 to grade 12, a student can spend 7 school years here. At 2026-27 award levels that adds up to about $36,701 on the standard award, $53,382 at the 250%-of-poverty level, and as much as $106,771 for a student served under IDEA. The Legislature sets funding each year, so use this to plan, not as a promise.
Covering the balance
Start with the parishioner rate and what the parish asks of a family to qualify for it. Then ask for the fee schedule, whether fees are billed through Odyssey as required fees, and whether the parish or the school offers its own tuition assistance for the balance.
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What to ask the school office
- Have you registered in Odyssey for 2026-27, and how do you bill against the four quarterly deposits?
- What is the registered-parishioner rate, and what does our church parish require before we qualify for it?
- What is the full cost for my child's grade, fees included, and what would a family on $5,243 or $7,626 still owe?
- Will you take an STO scholarship for 2026-27, and do you apply it after LA GATOR?
- Do you offer dual-enrollment courses with UL Lafayette or South Louisiana Community College, and how are they billed?
- How far do your families drive, and is there a carpool from Lafayette or the next town over?
Nearby private schools
| School | Type | Grades | Distance | BESE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Stephen Early Learning Center | Catholic | PK-K | 18.8 mi | ✓ |
| Central Catholic School | Catholic | PK-12 | 19.0 mi | ✓ |
| Acadiana Christian School | Christian | PK-12 | 19.8 mi | ✓ |
| Highland Baptist Christian School | Baptist | PK-12 | 23.0 mi | ✓ |
| Catholic High School | Catholic | 4-12 | 23.6 mi | ✓ |
| St. Edward School | Catholic | PK-3 | 23.8 mi | ✓ |
Straight-line distance from federal campus coordinates; road distance across the Atchafalaya basin and the bayous is longer.