Vermilion Parish has more graduates this year

Vermilion Parish continues to see an uptick in the number of high school graduates.
There are 632 students who will take part in graduation ceremonies that will begin later this week. The number is up nearly 60 students from a year ago, and 82 compared to 2013.
Abbeville High will send off its Class of 2015 Friday at 7:30 p.m. The event will take place at Wildcat Stadium on the campus of J.H. Williams Middle School. In the event that it rains, the ceremony will be moved to the AHS gym located on Wildcat Drive.
Abbeville’s current class of 135 is the biggest contributor in the increase in graduates. The school sent off 104 seniors in ‘14.
“It’s the largest class in my five years,” Abbeville
Principal Ivy Landry said. “The school is growing. We are having freshmen classes around 200. We are having more kids come to school and we are having kids get more involved in our programs that give them the opportunity to be successful.
“The interest of staying at this school is there.”
Gueydan High School will kick off the celebrations this Thursday. The school will send off 31 seniors at 7 p.m. in the Bill Searle Gymnasium. Like Abbeville High, Gueydan will see a bigger class this year, with 22 seniors taking part in last year’s graduation.
“It’s very nice to see an increase,” Gueydan Principal Brandy Broussard said. “Next year’s class will be 27, but our sophomore class is 48 and our freshmen class is 42.”
This will officially be Broussard’s first graduating class after she took over as principal in January. However, she knows the students well.
“I was an assistant principal for two-and-half years and was a teacher here for 12 years,” Broussard said. “It’s a special moment because I did teach most of them in the past and now I will be helping to send them off into the world.”
The Gueydan grads will see another familiar face at the ceremony. Former Principal Luddy Herpin, who retired in January, leading to Broussard becoming principal, will be on hand Thursday. Herpin now represents the Gueydan area on the Vermilion Parish School Board.
“The kids are so excited that Mr. Herpin will be here as our school board member,” Broussard said. “He will be presenting them with their diplomas.”
Harvest Time Christian Academy will present its nine graduates on Thursday, May 22, at 7 p.m. and Magdalen Place in downtown Abbeville will serve as the setting.
Delcambre High School will send off its 62 graduates on Friday. The ceremony is set for 7 p.m. in the DHS gym.
Kaplan High will say farewell to 115 seniors Friday at 7:30 p.m. The event, weather permitting, is scheduled to take place at Ed Douglas Memorial Stadium on campus. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved a short walk to the school’s B.J. Bordelon Gym.
Saturday will be the big day for graduates at two schools, Erath High and North Vermilion High.
North Vermilion will have 110 seniors will walk across that stage to receive diplomas. That milestone will take place in the school’s gym at 5:30 p.m.
The parish’s second largest class will be seen at Robert J. Segura Stadium on the campus of Erath High. The school will honor 123 graduates Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Monday will be Vermilion Catholic High School’s day. The school will recognize 38 seniors that night. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in downtown Abbeville.