Guided by Father Placide Dobyns, Annunciation Catholic School was founded in September 1939. The first school was housed in the original church building. Sister Caroline from the Benedictine Sisters of San Antonio was the first principal. Father Hubert Bordenave led the construction of the present school building in 1956 and Bordenave Hall in 1980. School Sisters of Notre Dame provided teachers from 1948-1982 with Sister Herman Marie as their last principal. The Mary Paduda Early Education Center was dedicated in 1996. The Teresian Sisters were the last religious order serving the school with Sister Amelia Harra as principal from 2001-2006. Annunciation Catholic School is the only Catholic school in Washington Parish, Louisiana and is located at 511 Avenue C, in the center of Bogalusa. The school is approved by the State of Louisiana and the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and is accredited by SACS/CASI. The school currently serves 149 students in grades prekindergarten 3 through seven.
The school is equipped to adequately serve up to two hundred-fifty students. There are eleven full-time teachers and four part-time teachers. There are two full-time teacher assistants, one office assistant, and one school secretary. Three teachers hold Masters degrees. All teachers meet the nonpublic school standards for their teaching assignments. Despite the small student population, Annunciation offers classes, programs, activities, and clubs offered by other schools in the local area. Annunciation provides professional development for teachers in Common Core State Standards, and teachers incorporate these standards into daily instruction. The ACS curriculum is based on the State of Louisiana’s Comprehensive Curriculum and meets all Bulletin 741 standards for nonpublic schools. The three-year-old through third grade classes are self-contained, with a student/teacher ratio approximately 16:1. Grades 4-7 are fully departmentalized with a student/teacher ratio of approximately 13:1. An aftercare staff is employed to provide care for students each day until 5:15 P.M.
Annunciation’s reputation throughout the community remains steadfast. For 75 years, Annunciation has maintained an excellent reputation. Graduates of the school continue to excel in public and private institutions within Washington and St. Tammany parishes. ACS graduates and former students are consistently placed in advanced and honors courses in high schools and graduate with honors or high honors. Students and their families report that the foundation received at Annunciation is an integral part of the students’ success. It is impressed on ACS students to develop “the total package”, from the state of their school uniform to their willingness to serve. It is no wonder that ACS students are recognized for their high moral standards, academic readiness, and dedication to service.