EDS was founded by members of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in New Iberia, Louisiana. Though the church had operated a pre-school and kindergarten program since the early 1960's, the elementary school was chartered as an independent, Episcopal day school in 1982. EDS was established to offer a challenging elementary school curriculum within a Christian environment to prepare students for a college-preparatory environment at the Episcopal high school established in Cade, Louisiana in 1980. The founding board envisioned a time when parents in New Iberia and the surrounding community could choose an Episcopal education for their child which would serve them from preschool through high school. 

EDS began in the fall of 1982 with a 1st and 2nd grade being added to the existing preschool and kindergarten. The plan was to add a grade each year through the 5th grade. Therefore, a 3rd grade was added in 1983, a 4th in 1984, and a 5th in 1985. This completed the elementary school, preparing students for 6th through 12th grade at the Episcopal School of Acadiana in Cade. 

The early years of the school were like all new schools--spurts in growth filled with enthusiasm. However, by the spring of 1987, New Iberia began to experience a crunch in the oil industry. Enrollment began to decline in the spring of 1988. Enrollment dropped to its lowest with only 5 students in the 5th grade. The fall of 1989 opened with a slight increase in enrollment. This increase continued throughout the following three years, which necessitated an expansion of the campus. The Murphy House and the Sutton Building were renovated to be used by the school. 

In the fall of 1992, we began to add a second class of PK3 and moved the preschool to First United Methodist Church. Each year following, a second class of the next grade was added with plans to double section through 3rd grade by 1998. The Himel Building and the Broussard property were acquired to accommodate the continued growth of the school. At present, EDS serves students in grades PK-3 through 5th grade. The school draws from a wide area including New Iberia, St. Martinville, Abbeville, Kaplan, Jeanerette, Loreauville, Lafayette and Broussard.