Moving to St. Francisville area, looking for school info help. (Zachary: house, magnet schools)

[cmgwo]

We are moving to the St. Francisville area sometime in Jan/Feb and I'm concerned about my daughter fitting in and enjoying the schools. My daughter is 14, a Freshman in High School, and an only child. We were military for most of her life, so moving is nothing new to her, but when my husband got a job in MA outside of the military, we told her we'd stay in one place and let her graduate with her friends she made here. Of course, that was before we found out that my husband's brand new job was going to close three years after we got here. So now here we are moving again. He's got a job at the River Bend power plant, so we are looking to stay closer to the St. Francisville area. My biggest concern are the schools there. I see they are all uniformed schools with pretty strict standards. I also haven't read any great parental/student reviews of the schools in Zachary. Just because they test well, doesn't mean they are a great school, just means they answer questions well. I'm wanting an environment where my daughter doesn't feel like she's being overly controlled. She's really enjoying her school this year and I can see her changing into an amazing young lady, I hate to shove her into a school that stifles that. She's not very athletic and really hates competition in general. She's out going, fun loving, and goofy. She's tested as gifted and placed in accelerated programs and is thriving in her new schedule of four classes a day on this school systems "block schedule." Are there any schools in the area that won't feel like a military academy? We are planning on taking tours of the schools there when we go house hunting, but want to narrow down my choices before we get there and schedule visits. Like I said, we'd like to stay close to St. Francisville, but I won't be working, so driving her to and from school is an option, if the environment is right. Do any of the magnet schools in the area accept students mid-year? Are there any private schools that are non-religious? Are there any home school groups to look into if public/private schools don't work out? Any information on school environments/schedules (i.e., how many classes per day) or anything really would be very helpful.

[annie_himself]

I can't speak much on the other schools as I don't have kids, and am way too young to have high school kids. With that said, Zachary is the best district in the state, however Zachary High is just a normal school. I attented Dutchtown but have family that went to Zachary about 7-10 years ago.
I'll tell you what my school was like, as it's probably very similar to Zachary. Uniforms are mandatory, tucked in shirts, ID badges must be worn for the most part, must wear nothing but school colors if you do not have a ______ High School jacket. It's way too strict for young adults in my opinion, but it's nothing like a military academy.
I do agree that test scores mean very little, however it speaks leaps and bounds about the quality of the parents whose children attend the schools. She may not like it at first but it surely won't kill her or stunt her potential.

I can't comment on magnet schools and I don't know if there are any irreligious private schools in the area. I would imagine not.