John Paul The Great Academy

Last updated

John Paul the Great Academy
Location
John Paul The Great Academy
1522 Carmel Drive

Lafayettee
,
(Lafayette Parish)
,
Louisiana
70501

United States
Coordinates 30°13′47″N91°59′3″W / 30.22972°N 91.98417°W / 30.22972; -91.98417
Information
Type Private, Coeducational
MottoTruth ∙ Faith ∙ Virtue
Religious affiliation(s)independent Roman Catholic
Established2006
President and HeadmasterNathanael Rea
Grades PK3–12
Student to teacher ratio13:1
Color(s) Navy Blue and Burgundy   
Team nameGuardians
Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [1]
Director of AdmissionsMolly McCracken
Website School Website

John Paul the Great Academy is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Lafayette, Louisiana. It is operated independent of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette. [2]

Contents

History

In 2006, Kevin Roberts established John Paul the Great Academy. He served as the head of the school until 2013, when he moved to Wyoming Catholic College. In 2021, he was appointed president of the Heritage Foundation. [3] He serves as Chair Emeritus on the school's board of trustees. [4]

The school started in a former restaurant in Carencro. In 2011, it relocated to a 39 acre property with a former school once used by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. [5]

The school's textbooks consist of classical literature and modern materials, all of which uphold the Catholic stance of supporting life from conception to natural death. The school employs its own textbooks, and its teaching relies heavily on the writings and speeches of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. [6]

The school participated in the Louisiana K-12 Scholarship Program, which allowed students from underperforming public schools to use vouchers for tuition, and it currently participates in the LA GATOR Scholarship Program. [7] [8] This program, supported by Governor Jeff Landry, enables parents to use state funds for private school tuition. [9]

In 2012, former Lafayette Bishop Harry Flynn delivered a keynote address at a fundraising dinner for the school. [10] In 2013, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum gave the keynote address. [11] In 2014, Alan Keyes, former U.N. Ambassador, delivered the keynote address. [12]

The school hosts an annual fundraiser called The Collarnary Cook-Off at Vermilionville to support its scholarship program, which assists families in need with tuition and fees. Local Catholic priests participate in a gumbo cook-off. [13]

Some parts of the film A Sort of Homecoming were filmed on the school campus. [14]

As of 2025, the school educates grades PK-12. [15]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ SACS-CASI. "SACS-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". John Paul the Great Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Alumnus Kevin Roberts named next president of the Heritage Foundation". liberalarts.vt.edu. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Board of Trustees". John Paul the Great Academy. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  5. ↑ Sills, Marsha (October 5, 2011). "Lafayette School gets new name, site". The Acadiana Advocate.
  6. ↑ McElfresh, Amanda (August 14, 2012). "Voucher Schools Vary on Evolution, Creationism". The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) . p. 7.
  7. ↑ "When the State Pays Church, We're on a Slippery Road". The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) . August 14, 2012. p. 4.
  8. ↑ @doe.louisiana; (March 2, 2025). "State leaders visited John Paul the Great Academy in Lafayette this morning" . Retrieved March 31, 2025– via Instagram.
  9. ↑ Wall, Patrick (May 13, 2025). "Hundreds of private school students rally with Gov. Jeff Landry for his LA GATOR program". NOLA.com. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  10. ↑ Persac, Nicholas (February 11, 2012). "'It's About Religious Liberty': Archbishop Touches on Issue While in Town to Tout Catholic Education". The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) . pp. 1, 6.
  11. ↑ Persac, Nicholas (March 10, 2013). "Santorum Urges Catholics to Guide Country's Direction". The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) . p. 2.
  12. ↑ "Alan Keyes to speak at gala". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Collarnary Cook Off". Collarnary Cook Off. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  14. ↑ Edwards, Lynda (February 19, 2014). "Cue the Atmosphere". The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) . pp. 1, 7.
  15. ↑ "John Paul the Great Academy | Institute for Catholic Liberal Education". Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
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