Carencro LA
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Welcome to the City of Carencro, where we take pride in maintaining a community-oriented quality of life, along with a progressive approach to business. Located near the crossroads of I-10 and I-49, Carencro is perfectly situated for economic development interests, as well as for families seeking a community to call home.
A leisurely down-home atmosphere, along with a progressive approach to business, make Carencro truly the best of both worlds. Just outside the city of Lafayette, we benefit from the resources available there. Yet, we maintain our own identity as a quiet community, just beyond the hectic pace of urban life. In Carencro, you really can be in the middle of it all and away from it all at the same time.
Education The Lafayette Parish School System operates four public schools in Carencro.
Carencro Heights Elementary enrolls students in grades K-5.
– Received the U.S. Department of Education National Distinguished Title I School Award in 1998.
– The KIDZ Eagle Vision News Teams broadcast live daily at Carencro Heights Elementary via closed circuit television. Each team consists of three 3rd-grade reporters.
– Classrooms feature networked computers.
– Students benefit from Computer Assisted Instruction labs, the Accelerated Reader Program and the Primary Academic Creative Education Program.
Live Oak Elementary built in 1999, has an enrollment of approximately 700 students in grades K-5.
– Model site for Positive Behavior Intervention Support
– Over 3/4 of the classrooms have Promethean Interactive Boards
– Model site for United Way Readers Program
– Partner with Carencro High School for reluctant reader mentoring
– 239 computers with Internet access
– Active 4H Club, PACE Art program, and French Enrichment Classes
Carencro Middle School, built in 1982, enrolls 924 students in grades 5-8.
– All CMS classrooms have Internet access and are equipped with the latest technologies available.
– Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) scores increased an average of 9 percent in both language arts and math from 1998-1999 to 1999-2000.
– Girls’ volleyball, basketball and track teams were Parish Champs in 1998-1999 and 1999-2000.
– Boys’ football and basketball teams were Parish Champs in 1998-1999 and 1999-2000; track team was Parish Champ in 1998-1999.
Carencro High School, grades 9-12, offers the following opportunities to students:
– Traditional academic classes including Advanced Placement, Honors, Regular and Resource;
– Advanced technology offered in computer classes, including Webmastering, Digital Graphics and Animation, Business Computer Applications, Computer Science I and II, Desktop Publishing and Keyboarding;
– A “High Schools That Work” school, which includes:
- application and hands-on classes,
- Technology Education classes, where students explore pneumatics, electronics, robotics, meterorology and aviation;
- Physics for Technology which includes an exploration of the principles of physics in laboratory settings,
- outstanding Business, Family and Consumer Science, Agri-Science and Industrial Technology classes preparing students for immediate employment;
– Numerous clubs and extracurricular activities;
– Outstanding male and female athletic programs that compete for state championship honors on a regular basis.
In addition, Carencro High is home to the Academy of Information Technology. Established in 2000, the academy introduces students to the broad career opportunities in today’s digital workforce and, in the process, equips them with the personal, analytical, technical & communications skills they need to thrive. A member program of The National Academy Foundation (NAF), The Academy Of Information Technology operates as a school within a school and is located in high schools nationwide.
Academy Focus – To introduce students to the many career opportunities in today’s digital workforce – To equip students with the personal, analytical, technical & communication skills that are necessary to be successful in today’s job market. – To provide a new context for learning through building motivation, confidence & a sense of personal worth.
Academy Benefits – Strong encouragement of students to pursue TOPS graduation requirements. – Potential for earning academic or career/technical diploma endorsement. – Recommended coverage of a world language. – Graduates are better prepared for employment & have more positive career outcomes. – Enhanced opportunities for employment after graduation. – Clear vision of connections between what is learned in school & the larger world. – Potential for earning industry certification while in high school. – Intense exposure to computer applications. – Historically, 100 percent of academy students graduate from high school.
All public school students who reside in Lafayette Parish may apply to and be accepted into the academy, regardless of the high school or middle school they currently attend. For more information, contact Kit Becnel, director, 896-6675, or Joel Hilbun, co-director, 896-2811.
Carencro Catholic School (Pre-K-8) is operated by the Diocese of Lafayette.
Easy access to outstanding higher education resources is afforded by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. UL is the second largest university in the state, with an approximate enrollment of 16,000. A selective admissions university, it is classified as a Doctoral II research institution and is home to the National Wetlands Research Center, the NASA Regional Applications Center and the Center for Advanced Computer Studies. UL has distinguished itself in the areas of computer science, biology and Francophone studies. It’s also recognized for its athletic teams, known by the descriptive moniker, the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Louisiana Technical College-Lafayette Campus is a two-year open admissions campus designed to provide training for entry into business and industry. Programs cover a variety of employment fields, as well as certificate or diploma options. In addition, individuals already employed can receive advanced and supplementary skills training from LTCL.
NORTH REGIONAL LIBRARY Carencro residents enjoy numerous services provided by the North Regional Library, part of the Lafayette Public Library System. Opened in October 2007, the North Regional Library has a large selection of books, magazines, DVDs and audio books, and music CDs for checkout, plus an in-house reference collection. An active children’s department features materials especially for preschoolers and young readers, and conducts a summer reading program. With daily courier service, library patrons have easy access to materials from the Main Library. Public access computers at the library allow anyone to search for information on the Internet.
Located at 5101 North University Avenue, adjacent to the Carencro Community Center, the 12,000-square-foot facility includes a Children’s Storytelling “Kaleidoscope” Room, meeting and study rooms, a Friends Shop (Magasin d’amis), a Teen Area, and a special Genealogy Area.
The North Regional branch is managed by Peggy Thibodeaux. Staff members Kathy Hudson and Genella Fontenot conduct story times for preschoolers and toddlers. Visit the library’s web site for a list of programs for all ages.
Library hours are 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m.- 5 p.m. on Sunday. To find out more, or to join the Friends of the Library, call 337-896-3866 or 337-896-6323. You can download a membership form here as a PDF.
CHURCHES First Baptist Church 242 St. Pierre Blvd. 896-8296 Brother Nick Peters, pastor
First Baptist Church was established in 1960.
Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church 410 N. Michaud St. 896-8304 Fr. John G. “Buddy” Breaux, pastor www.assumptionparish.catholicweb.com
Mass Schedule: Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
Our Lady of the Assumption Parish was founded in 1925 under the direction of the Holy Ghost Fathers. The church was built in 1926. A school was organized by Saint Katharine Drexel, which served the community for several years.
St. Peter Roman Catholic Church 102 Church St. 896-9408 Fr. Bill Melancon, pastor
Mass Schedule: Monday and Friday at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday at 12:05 noon First Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
St. Peter’s was the first church parish of Carencro, established in 1874 as St. Pierre. The current church building, constructed in 1904 by Hector Connolly, is the fifth church building for the parish. Its four predecessors were destroyed by fire or weather-related disasters. The church is a recommended stop for visitors to Acadiana, because of its historical nature and its artistic details. It features stunning woodwork, including dual altars made in Belgium in the late 1800s for the Chicago World’s Fair. Also of note are the coats-of-arms on the pew ends, carved by a Bavarian craftsman, and the stained glass, made in Alsace, depicting scenes from the life of St. Peter.
The St. Anne Society has been part of St. Peter’s community for more than 100 years. The Canadian priests who served as pastors brought the devotions from Canada. Every year from July17-25, novena prayers and Holy Mass beginning at 6:15 a.m. are offered with hundreds of members of the Society participating. On July 26th, the Feast of St. Anne is celebrated with a procession to the church, followed by Holy Mass and closing novena prayers.
Temple Baptist Church 3501 N. University 886-1555
History The early Carencro Prairie was inhabited by two main tribes of Native Americans – the Attakapas and the Opelousas. They saw few outsiders prior to the mid-18th century. Those who settled in the region came primarily from six areas: Nova Scotia, the Canary Islands, France, the British Isles, Germany and Africa. The first settler in the Carencro area was Louis Pierre Arceneaux, a native of Beaubassin, Nova Scotia, who established himself in Carencro in 1765. Like most of the settlers who came to Carencro, then known as St. Pierre, between 1765 and 1803, Arceneaux was an Acadian exiled from Nova Scotia by the British. An 1803 census showed 32 Acadian families who formed the backbone for development of the area. They were soon joined by Anglo-Americans and settlers of Spanish descent. There were also some families who came directly from France and Germany. By 1810, the number of families had grown to 50.
The Black population grew rapidly with the gradual increase of the slave trade. Most slaves came from West African villages along the coast. Although slavery was illegal in the colonial Attakapas District, pirates such as Jean Lafitte and James Bowie brought in captured slaves, and the Spanish government did little to enforce restrictions.
In the late 1800s, Carencro became the largest shopping center in the area, with a number of merchants conducting business with several surrounding towns. By 1890, the population was 287 and the town had a hotel, town hall, two private schools and a hook and ladder company. At the turn of the century, the population had grown to 445.
(From “The History of Carencro,” St. Pierre Genealogical Society Archives)
OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION SCHOOL 
In 1924, Mother Katharine Drexel, foundress of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters, opened a three-room school for the African-American children of the Carencro area. Our Lady of the Assumption School began with 175 students and three lay teachers, whose salaries were paid from Mother Katharine’s personal fortune.
The schoolhouse evolved slowly through the 1930s and ’40s to include a convent and office. By 1951, Our Lady of the Assumption’s enrollment had increased to 300, and it was one of only three schools serving the area. In 1980, the sisters withdrew from the school due to lack of personnel. The building is currently used for religious education and CCD classes.
Our Lady of the Assumption School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington D.C. on November 29, 2001, for its contribution to black education.
Mother Katharine Drexel was beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 20, 1988. Her feast day is celebrated on March 3.
(Photos courtesy the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, Office of Cultural Development, Division of Historic Preservation. Information from various sources.)
Maps Get your bearings by viewing the State of Louisiana and the Carencro local area maps below. 
Additional Area Photos
