About us
Our Mission
We provide students with excellence in education, both academically and spiritually, in order to prepare them to become faith-filled leaders who will live and defend the Catholic faith with confidence and joy.
Goals for Every Student
- To provide an outstanding education through a partnership between teachers and parents in the formation of students’ education, faith and character
- To develop creative minds by teaching students how to think critically and how to learn, ultimately to maintain a lifelong love of learning
- To teach God’s Commandments and instill in the students a strong devotion to Jesus Christ
- To help students develop a personal prayer life with Christ, a devotion to His BlessedMother, and a love of the Catholic Faith
- To impart the charism of St. John Paul II and the students’ role in the New Evangelization
- To recognize the dignity and worth of each student and to appreciate individual differences
- To instill in students an awareness of their responsibility to respond to the needs of others through apostolic and service projects
- To teach the virtues and instill in students the importance of self-respect as well as love and respect for others
Pillars of JPII Mission and Vision
- Authentically Catholic, aligned with the Magisterium
- Rigorous classical curriculum pursues truth, goodness, and beauty
- Hybrid model includes 3 at-school and 2 at-home days each week
- School culture that collaborates with and supports the domestic church of the family
Supporting Catholic families to help form the Catholic leaders and saints the world needs today.
Catholic
Form ourselves and our children in alignment with the authentic teachings of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
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At JPII, we treasure the richness, traditions, and Truth of the Catholic faith and provide opportunities for students to encounter, develop and practice virtue in all circumstances of life. All members of the JPII community strive for excellence in both human and Catholic formation, seeking authentic holiness of life.
Classical
Teach goodness, truth, and beauty through the gravitas found in the classical curriculum.
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We explore the lives and societies of history’s holy, wise, and influential men and women. This context provides students the tools they need to understand the Gospels, the saints, the writings of the Church, philosophy, literature, the process of discovery in science, the use of imagination and logic in problem-solving, and ultimately how to be tomorrow’s clear communicators, wise decision-makers, and holy saints who promote and defend the faith of Jesus Christ.
Hybrid
Partner professional teachers with parents to co-educate children intellectually and spiritually.
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JPII’s hybrid academic program blends all the best aspects of traditional instruction with the benefits of home school days to provide an atmosphere where both academic and spiritual formation thrive. Our cooperative partnership with parents allows for a healthy balance between home life and school participation– truly the best of both worlds!
Family
Honor and uphold the family as the domestic church and its essential role in forming joyful Catholics and future saints.
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History of John Paul II Preparatory
In 2009, a private Catholic school in Chesterfield, MO, Gateway Academy, closed the doors to its high school after 17 years of operation due to financial instability. Shortly thereafter, three lay families made the decision to start a small independent Catholic high school with a three-day model.
The idea was presented by Joe and Jessica Zuniga, who had previous experience with the hybrid model in Atlanta. After much research and consultation with National Association of University Model Schools (NAUMS), National Association of Private Catholic Independent Schools (NAPCIS), and Kolbe Academy, the Zunigas presented a viable option to the displaced families.
From the very beginning, Saint John Paul II Preparatory School sought to utilize the advantages of the three-day school model to strengthen family bonds and provide Catholic parents with greater influence in their children’s spiritual and academic development.
The Zunigas, along with two other couples, formed the founding Board of Directors for St. John Paul II Preparatory School. Each Board member assumed duties in operating the school and hiring the faculty. They carefully selected educators who promised to adhere to the teachings of the Catholic faith as taught by the Magisterium of the Church.
Furthermore, the Board sought to develop a strong and cohesive school community with an intentional Catholic culture—families whose goal was to gain Heaven for themselves and their children and whose desire was to find like-minded companions for that journey.
Saint John Paul II Preparatory School incorporated in the summer of 2009 and established by-laws for the non-profit organization. The school officially opened its doors in August of 2009, with 7 high school students. In 2011, Gateway Academy subsequently closed its grade school. Many families came to the Board of Directors requesting that JPII consider adding an elementary school. In the fall of 2011, the Board of Directors voted to add grades PK–8. Jessica Zuniga assumed the role of Principal and remained in that position until 2014.
As the enrollment grew to 140, the members of the Board hired David Williams as Principal and appointed Jessica Zuniga to serve as President of the school. David Williams acted as Principal from July 2014 to June 2017.
St. Louis Archbishop, Robert J. Carlson, requested that JPII become formally recognized as a Catholic school by erecting a Public Association of the Christian Faithful. On September 21, 2015, Saint John Paul II Preparatory School was formally recognized as a Public Association of the Christian Faithful (PACF), an official work of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. In July of 2016 JPII grew to 154 students and established a permanent home at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church.
In July of 2017, the Board hired Mrs. Lynette Schmitz, the third Principal in the school’s history. Under Mrs. Schmitz’s leadership, JPII received school accreditation from NAPCIS, achieved national ranking on the Classic Learning Test, became an A+ school in the state of Missouri, and was designated a Newman List Recommended School by the Cardinal Newman Society.
In 2019, the Board of Directors voted to open a second campus at St. Martin of Tours to serve families in the south county region, and appointed Mr. Sebastian Garren as its Executive Director. Under the combined leadership of Mrs. Schmitz and Mr. Garren, JPII’s total school community has grown to 300 students on 2 campuses in just 15 short years.
In 2023, the Board of Directors hired Dr. Richard Allington as Vice-Principal, and he succeeded Mrs. Schmitz as Principal beginning the 2024-2025 school year.
Fifteen years has established St. John Paul II Preparatory School as an institution with orthodox and intentional Catholic formation, a rigorous classical curriculum, and a hybrid model that grants parents precious additional time and influence as they build strong families. Our mission is to provide students with excellence in education, both academically and spiritually, in order to prepare them to become faith-filled adults who will live and defend the Catholic faith with confidence and joy.
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The Zunigas, along with two other couples, formed the founding Board of Directors for St. John Paul II Preparatory School. Each Board member assumed duties in operating the school and hiring the faculty. They were convinced that sound Catholic education would come from educators who promised to adhere to the teachings of the Catholic faith as taught by the Magisterium of the Church.
Furthermore, the Board sought to develop a strong and cohesive school community with an intentional Catholic culture—families whose goal was to gain Heaven for themselves and their children and whose desire was to find like-minded companions for that journey.
Saint John Paul II Preparatory School incorporated in the summer of 2009 and established by-laws for the non-profit organization. The school officially opened its doors in August of 2009, with 7 high school students. Jessica Zuniga assumed the role of Principal and remained in that position until 2014.
In 2011, Gateway Academy subsequently closed its grade school. Many families came to the Board of Directors requesting that JPII consider adding an elementary school. In the fall of 2011, the Board of Directors voted to add grades PK–8. As the enrollment grew to 140, the members of the Board hired David Williams as Principal and appointed Jessica Zuniga to serve as President of the school. David Williams acted as Principal from July 2014 to June 2017.
St. Louis Archbishop, Robert J. Carlson, requested that JPII become formally recognized as a Catholic school by erecting a Public Association of the Christian Faithful. On September 21, 2015, Saint John Paul II Preparatory School was formally recognized as a Public Association of the Christian Faithful (PACF), an official work of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.
During this period, the tiny school moved six different times, seeking affordable space for its growing enrollment, and by July of 2016 had grown to 154 students with a permanent home at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church.
In July of 2017, the Board hired Mrs. Lynette Schmitz, the third Principal in the school’s history. Under Mrs. Schmitz’s leadership, JPII received school accreditation from NAPCIS, achieved national ranking on the Classic Learning Test, became an A+ school in the state of Missouri, and was designated a Newman List Recommended School by the Cardinal Newman Society.
In 2019, the Board of Directors voted to open a second campus at St. Martin of Tours to serve families in the south county region, and appointed Mr. Sebastian Garren as its Executive Director. Under the combined leadership of Mrs. Schmitz and Mr. Garren, JPII’s total school community has grown to 300 students on 2 campuses in just 15 short years.
In 2023, the Board of Directors hired Dr. Richard Allington as Vice-Principal, and he succeeded Mrs. Schmitz as Principal for the 2024-2025 school year and beyond.
Fifteen years has established St. John Paul II Preparatory School as an institution with serious and intentional Catholic formation, a rigorous classical curriculum, and a hybrid model that grants parents precious additional time and influence as they build strong families. Our mission is to provide students with the academic and spiritual excellence to prepare them for lives as faith-filled, intentional Catholics who live and defend the Truth with confidence and joy.
