Using LA GATOR at St. Peter Catholic School (Covington)
The state classifies St. Peter Catholic School (Covington) as accredited on its 2025-26 BESE approval list, which is the gate for LA GATOR tuition. Louisiana doesn't publish which approved schools signed up with Odyssey in a given year, so ask the school directly. Its Brumfield v. Dodd nondiscrimination approval, required for any state-funded placement, dates from 1976.
On that list the school reported 703 K-12 students plus 125 in pre-K, which makes it the 13th-largest of 114 approved schools in the eight-parish area.
By enrollment it is the 3rd of 17 approved schools on the Northshore; the nearest comparable schools with the same grade span and affiliation in the area are Our Lady of the Lake School, St. Margaret Mary School, Mary Queen of Peace Catholic School. Its pre-K program (125 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 706 students, 41 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio of about 17.2 to 1. The school reports membership in National Catholic Educational Association.
Kindergarten to grade 7 is 8 years at this school. Funded every year at 2026-27 levels, that is roughly $41,944 at the standard amount or $61,008 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. After grade 7, the award moves with your child to an approved high school.
Covering the rest
St. Tammany parish schools charge a parishioner rate that sits closer to the award than Orleans or Metairie schools do. Ask about it first, then about sibling discounts and whether archdiocesan assistance or an STO award covers the remainder.
Check my funding for this school →
Grade 8 options after St. Peter Catholic School (Covington)
New Orleans high schools admit at grade 8, so families here apply in the fall of 7th grade. Approved schools serving grade 8, nearest first:
- St. Scholastica Academy (Covington, grades 8-12, all-girls, about 0 mi)
- Saint Paul's School (Covington, grades 8-12, all-boys, about 1 mi)
- Northlake Christian School (Covington, grades PK-12, about 2 mi)
- Christ Episcopal School (Covington, grades PK-12, about 4 mi)
- Archbishop Hannan High School (Covington, grades 8-12, about 5 mi)
- Ben's Ford Christian School (Bogalusa, grades PK-12, about 22 mi)
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?
- Which high schools do your 7th graders move on to, and do you help with placement test preparation?
- Does a PK-4 seat guarantee a kindergarten seat, which is when the account can start?
Nearest private schools
| School | Type | Grades | Distance | BESE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Scholastica Academy | Catholic | 8-12 | 0.1 mi | ✓ |
| Covington Montessori School | Montessori | PK-K | 0.3 mi | ✓ |
| Lakeview Maria Montessori Preschool | Montessori | PK-K | 0.5 mi | ✓ |
| Saint Paul's School | Catholic | 8-12 | 0.5 mi | ✓ |
| Northlake Christian School | Christian | PK-12 | 1.9 mi | ✓ |
| Kehoe-France Northshore | Independent | PK-7 | 2.0 mi | ✓ |
Straight-line distance between campus coordinates.