LA GATOR and The Church Academy
On the state's 2025-26 BESE approval list, The Church Academy appears as accredited. Approved schools can accept LA GATOR tuition once they register in the Odyssey platform for the year. Its federal Brumfield v. Dodd nondiscrimination approval dates to 2015.
The state doesn't publish which approved schools registered with LA GATOR each year (statewide, more than 240 took part in the first year), so ask the office whether it is set up for 2026-27 and how it bills the account.
The school reported 107 K-12 students and 28 pre-K students on that list. That ranks #50 of 69 approved schools in our ten-parish directory by K-12 enrollment.
The Church Academy was also on the state's 2024-25 Tuition Donation Credit participating list, so it accepts scholarships from Louisiana's school tuition organizations (ACE Scholarships, Arete Scholars, Aspiring Scholars and Son of a Saint). Those scholarships stack with LA GATOR: the account pays tuition and mandatory fees first, and an STO award can cover the rest, up to actual tuition and fees.
In the federal Private School Survey (2023-24), it reported 126 students, 12 full-time-equivalent teachers and about 10.5 students per teacher.
From kindergarten through grade 8 is 9 school years. At 2026-27 amounts, a student funded every year here would bring about $47,187 at the standard amount, or $68,634 at the 250%-of-poverty amount. Amounts are set each year and new awards depend on funding, so treat this as a planning number. LA GATOR starts at age 5, so pre-K years are paid privately.
Paying the balance
Church schools often offer member, sibling and staff discounts. Ask whether they still apply when part of the bill is paid from LA GATOR, and which fees (registration, books, uniforms, technology) the school bills through Odyssey.
Check my funding for this school →
After grade 8: where students can continue
The Church Academy ends at grade 8. These approved schools serve grade 9:
- Ascension Christian School (Gonzales, grades PK-12, about 4 mi)
- St. Michael the Archangel High School (Baton Rouge, grades 9-12, about 12 mi)
- Ascension Catholic Diocesan Regional School (Donaldsonville, grades PK-12, about 13 mi)
- Open Door Christian Academy (Denham Springs, grades PK-12, about 14 mi)
- Bethany Christian School South Campus (Baton Rouge, grades PK-11, about 14 mi)
Questions to ask the school
- Are you registered as a participating LA GATOR school in Odyssey for 2026-27, and how do you bill the account?
- What is the full cost for my child's grade, including mandatory fees, and what's left after the account?
- Do you accept STO scholarships (ACE, Arete, Aspiring Scholars, Son of a Saint), and in what order do you apply them?
- Which state test or national norm-referenced test do LA GATOR students take here?
- Does a pre-K seat here carry into kindergarten, when LA GATOR starts?
Closest private schools
| School | Type | Grades | Distance | BESE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Theresa of Avila Middle School | Catholic | 4-8 | 3.4 mi | ✓ |
| Ascension Christian School | Christian | PK-12 | 3.5 mi | ✓ |
| Gonzales Baptist Academy | Baptist | K-12 | 4.5 mi | — |
| St. John Primary School | Catholic | PK-3 | 6.6 mi | ✓ |
| Most Blessed Sacrament School | Catholic | PK-8 | 11.4 mi | ✓ |
| St. Michael the Archangel High School | Catholic | 9-12 | 12.1 mi | ✓ |
Straight-line distance from federal survey or address coordinates.