Southside High School

The principal is the worse they have some really good teachers and some not so great the office staff is a lot better now then the start of the year.

This is the best elementary school in Lafayette Parish. The administration and teachers set the pace for the students. They engage with the students and care deeply about the kids. The academics are excellent, as reflected in the test scores and AR reading program (which is first rate, by the way). Nevertheless, the faculty assigns a manageable amount of homework...much appreciated by the parents. The school also offers kids many extra-curricular activities to help round out their experience. In all, EG is a first rate school that is a the very top of Lafayette Parish. I am thankful that my children were able to attend.

It is awful here. We enrolled after the newsworthy AES drama and never saw a headmaster who lasted. With every new one came new lesson plans, new rules, and a revolving door of teachers who got fed up and left. Love busy work? Great, worksheets are king at Ascension. Be prepared to pay for tutoring if your kid can't keep up with all the useless paperwork. Don't worry, they offer it at more cost to you. Doesn't matter. Competition is not academic.Socially, AES is toxic. They have a beautifully refined art program, but if your child is "artsy," beware. They will likely not fit in. Mean girls abound and the bullying my kids experienced was severe. The "my kid would never" mentality runs deep.The real underlying issue is the parent culture. If keeping up with the Joneses and drama is your thing, you'll fit right in. Parents love to be exclusive and spread kids' gossip. The high tuition is a status symbol. And the more money you have to give, the higher on the totem pole you'll sit.Is it gentle, generous, truthful, kind and brave up there?