LA GATOR at St. Edward School
St. Edward School holds non-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 228 K-12 students and 71 pre-K children, which puts it at number 30 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.
The school ends at grade 3, and the account goes with your child to the next approved school that admits them. The closest approved schools enrolling grade 4 are Catholic High School, Highland Baptist Christian School, Acadiana Christian School, Westminster Christian Academy (Lafayette).
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 211 students, 16 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio near 13.2 students per teacher.
Adding up the funded years
From kindergarten to grade 3, a student can spend 4 school years here. At 2026-27 award levels that adds up to about $20,972 on the standard award, $30,504 at the 250%-of-poverty level, and as much as $61,012 for a student served under IDEA. The Legislature sets funding each year, so use this to plan, not as a promise. The pre-K years are not covered; eligibility starts at age 5.
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?
- Where did your most recent grade 3 class go next?
- Does a pre-K place carry into kindergarten, the first year the account can pay?
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epiphany Day School | Episcopal | PK-5 | 0.5 mi | — |
| Catholic High School | Catholic | 4-12 | 1.0 mi | ✓ |
| Highland Baptist Christian School | Baptist | PK-12 | 1.6 mi | ✓ |
| Acadiana Christian School | Christian | PK-12 | 4.1 mi | ✓ |
| Evangel House Christian Academy | Assembly of God | 6-12 | 6.0 mi | ✓ |
| Episcopal School of Acadiana | Episcopal | 6-12 | 7.8 mi | ✓ |
Straight-line distance from federal campus coordinates; road distance across the Atchafalaya basin and the bayous is longer.