NEW IBERIA, KATC - Like many high school seniors, JoAnna Riverso zipped up her gown, adjusted her cap and prepared to turn her tassel. But her graduation day looked a little different.
Inside the Glorious Church Worship Center in New Iberia, proud parents cheered and classmates smiled. It was a familiar scene, complete with speeches and prayers, but instead of hundreds of students, only three graduates took the stage. All were homeschooled.
“I’m grateful that they showed me all the stuff I need to succeed,” said Riverso, valedictorian of Christian Home School in Lafayette.
While small in graduating class size, the ceremony reflected a growing trend. Homeschool enrollment in Louisiana has risen steadily in recent years from 13,672 students in 2019 to 17,241 in 2024, according to state data.
“We put in the work and we are just like every other kid,” said Isabella Daspit-Theriot, a teacher at Christian Home School and a former homeschool student herself. “We’re just homeschooled.”
Daspit-Theriot said smaller class sizes allow for more personalized instruction, which she believes can make a significant difference.
“From a teacher’s perspective, it’s much more personal,” she said. “You really get to know the kids and be involved in their lives.”
For JoAnna and her family, that level of individualized attention was one of the biggest draws.
“Traditional schools… I was having a hard time with the curriculum,” Riverso said. “Whenever I entered Christian Home School, I felt a sense of, ‘Oh, I’m understanding the curriculum.’ It’s easy for me to understand because I have a hard time with math and stuff like that.”
With growing support and more resources available, students like Riverso say homeschooling is no longer an alternative, it’s an opportunity.
And as she stepped off the stage and into her future, cap slightly askew and tassel now turned, Riverso wasn’t just celebrating a graduation. She was marking a movement.
A LOOK AT THE DATA:
Homeschool enrollment in Louisiana has risen steadily in recent years.
In 2019, 13,672 students enrolled into homeschool.
In 2020, 15,107 studentsenrolled into homeschool.
In 2021, 16,134 students enrolled into homeschool.
In 2022, 16,317 students enrolled into homeschool.
In 2023, 17,039 students enrolled into homeschool.
In 2024, 17,241 students enrolled into homeschool.
