LA GATOR and Silliman Institute
The state lists Silliman Institute as a BESE-approved nonpublic school for 2025-26 (accredited). That approval is the requirement for taking LA GATOR scholarship tuition. Its federal Brumfield v. Dodd nondiscrimination approval dates to 2002.
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 564 K-12 students and 53 pre-K students on that list. That ranks #12 of 69 approved schools in our ten-parish directory by K-12 enrollment.
Silliman Institute was not on the 2024-25 Tuition Donation Credit participating list, so STO scholarships may not be available here. Ask whether the school has joined since.
In the federal Private School Survey (2021-22), it reported 510 students, 36 full-time-equivalent teachers and about 14.2 students per teacher.
From kindergarten through grade 12 is 13 school years. At 2026-27 amounts, a student funded every year here would bring about $68,159 at the standard amount, or $99,138 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 →
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?
- Which dual-enrollment courses do you offer, and can those fees come from the account?
- Does a pre-K seat here carry into kindergarten, when LA GATOR starts?
Closest private schools
| School | Type | Grades | Distance | BESE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zachary Christian Academy | Christian | PK-12 | 13.8 mi | — |
| Central Private School | Christian | PK-12 | 20.4 mi | ✓ |
| St. Alphonsus Liguori School | Catholic | PK-8 | 24.3 mi | ✓ |
| Victory Academy | Christian | PK-8 | 25.7 mi | ✓ |
| Redemptorist St. Gerard School | Catholic | PK-8 | 26.2 mi | ✓ |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Academy | Seventh-day Adventist | PK-8 | 26.5 mi | ✓ |
Straight-line distance from federal survey or address coordinates.