Using LA GATOR at Northlake Christian School
Northlake Christian School 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 1983.
On that list the school reported 1,057 K-12 students plus 53 in pre-K, which makes it the 3rd-largest of 114 approved schools in the eight-parish area.
It is the largest approved school on the Northshore, ahead of 16 others; the nearest comparable schools with the same grade span and affiliation in the area are First Baptist Christian School. Its pre-K program (53 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 922 students, 20 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio of about 46.1 to 1. The school reports membership in Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
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
Church-affiliated schools often discount tuition for member families and staff. Confirm those discounts survive when part of the bill is paid from the account, and ask which fees (registration, technology, books, uniforms) the school bills through Odyssey.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Paul's School | Catholic | 8-12 | 1.6 mi | ✓ |
| St. Peter Catholic School (Covington) | Catholic | PK-7 | 1.9 mi | ✓ |
| St. Scholastica Academy | Catholic | 8-12 | 1.9 mi | ✓ |
| Covington Montessori School | Montessori | PK-K | 2.1 mi | ✓ |
| Lakeview Maria Montessori Preschool | Montessori | PK-K | 2.1 mi | ✓ |
| Chesterton Academy of Divine Mercy | Catholic | 8-9 | 2.8 mi | — |
Straight-line distance between campus coordinates.