History of St

History of St. Francis School

St. Francis School has been in operation since September 11, 1916, having been opened by the sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence, at the request of Rev. Francis Bouquet (pastor of St. Joseph’s Church) to the Most Reverend Bishop J. Blenk, Bishop of New Orleans.

Prior to May 1926, St. Francis was governed by Texas school law and consisted of twelve grades. At that time Louisiana recognized the school and accepted it under Louisiana law, which required only eleven grades until 1949, when the requirement was changed to twelve.

School enrollment reached its highest in the 1962-63 school year, with 346 students. The last year to house a high school was 1966-67. The last graduating class of thirty was the largest since the opening of the school. The high school departments of St. Francis, St. Joseph’s of Rayne, and St. Michael’s of Crowley were consolidated to form Notre Dame of Acadia Parish.

Since 1967, St. Francis has remained an elementary school; serving grades one through eight. A Kindergarten class was added in 1976, and in 1988 a Pre-Kindergarten class opened.

The school presently is governed by the policies set fourth by the pastor in accordance with the principal and the St. Francis School Advisory Board, which includes parents elected from the owner church parishes, affiliate parishes, and a member representing all other families. This board operates within the policies and guidelines of the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Lafayette. St. Francis is fully approved by the state of Louisiana, and is subject to the Louisiana standards for non-public schools.