Schools in northern part of Vermilion Parish see increase in enrollment

It is no secret the population growth is in the northern part of Vermilion Parish. Four schools, located north of Abbeville, can back that up.

Four schools in the northern part of the parish have 113 more students than last year in October.

The school with the biggest increase in enrollment is North Vermilion High School with an increase of 40 students for a total student enrollment of 854 (counting seventh and eighth grade students). 

Cecil Picard Elementary in Maurice has 37 more students for a 

total of 736, making it the largest elementary school in the parish.

Meaux Elementary grew by 29 students to give it a total of 498 students. 

Down the road is Indian Bayou Elementary which had an increase of seven students for a total of 290 students.

With more than 100 students extra at the four schools,  teachers    had to be “shifted” around throughout the parish.

“We shifted teachers around from schools that saw their enrollment drop,” said Superintendent Jerome Puyau. “We actually have less teachers this school year than we did last year.”

Another school that saw a big increase in enrollment is Abbeville High with 644 students, which is an increase of 28 students.

Puyau  attributes the increase to academics improving at the school.

Erath High increased by 13 students for a total of 544 students.

Kaplan High went down four students for a total of  511 students.

Erath Middle School had 19 more students for a total of 492 students.

There are five schools that had double digit losses in enrollment.

James Herod Elementary had a drop of 46 students  and now has an enrollment of 514 students.

Across Abbeville, Eaton Park Elementary increased by 15 students and now has 663 students.

J.H. Williams Middle School in Abbeville lost 26 students to give it 630 students for this school year.

Kaplan Elementary is down 20 students and now has 581 students.

Gueydan High School has 246 students, which is 10 less than last year.