Using LA GATOR at Arden Cahill Academy
Arden Cahill Academy holds state approval for 2025-26: it appears on the BESE-approved nonpublic school list as accredited. That is what makes it eligible to receive LA GATOR tuition payments through Odyssey, once the school registers for the year. Its Brumfield v. Dodd nondiscrimination approval, required for any state-funded placement, dates from 1991.
On that list the school reported 265 K-12 students plus 62 in pre-K, which makes it the 61st-largest of 114 approved schools in the eight-parish area.
By enrollment it is the 7th of 14 approved schools on the West Bank. Its pre-K program (62 children) is the usual route into kindergarten here, which is the first year LA GATOR can pay.
It was also on the state's 2024-25 list of schools taking Tuition Donation Credit scholarships. For a family at or below 250% of the poverty line that matters: since Act 403, an STO award from ACE, Arete, Aspiring Scholars or the New Orleans-based Son of a Saint can be added on top of LA GATOR, up to the school's actual tuition and fees.
The federal Private School Survey (2023-24) recorded 256 students, 25.1 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio of about 10.2 to 1.
Kindergarten to grade 12 is 13 years at this school. Funded every year at 2026-27 levels, that is roughly $68,159 at the standard amount or $99,138 at the 250%-of-poverty amount, before any STO scholarship. Awards are reset annually and depend on the appropriation, so use it for planning, not budgeting. Pre-K years aren't eligible; the account starts at age 5.
Covering the rest
Independent schools publish tuition and run need-based aid through FACTS or a similar service. Ask where LA GATOR sits in that calculation; at the larger campuses the account covers a fraction of tuition and aid does the heavy lifting.
Check my funding for this school →
Ask the admissions office
- Is the school registered with Odyssey as a LA GATOR school for 2026-27, and does it bill tuition quarterly to match the deposits?
- What is the all-in cost for this grade, including fees, and what does a family at the $5,243 and $7,626 levels owe after the account?
- Do you take STO scholarships (ACE, Arete, Aspiring Scholars, Son of a Saint)? Which is applied first, LA GATOR or the STO award?
- Does a PK-4 seat guarantee a kindergarten seat, which is when the account can start?
Nearest private schools
| School | Type | Grades | Distance | BESE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslim Academy | Other faith | 1-12 | 0.8 mi | ✓ |
| St. Cletus School | Catholic | PK-7 | 1.5 mi | ✓ |
| Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (Belle Chasse) | Catholic | PK-7 | 2.6 mi | ✓ |
| Stepping Stones Montessori School | Montessori | PK-3 | 2.6 mi | ✓ |
| Knights Academy and High School | Christian | 5-12 | 3.3 mi | ✓ |
| ABA Healing Academy | Learning differences | K-9 | 3.7 mi | — |
Straight-line distance between campus coordinates.