The start of every school year brings a certain excitement: shopping for school supplies and clothes; learning different subjects and making new friends; and maybe even the big move from intermediate to high school.
Perhaps most exciting is the launch of a new school, especially in the Arlington diocese.
Chesterton Academy of Christ the King, opening this fall on the campus of St. Lawrence Church in Alexandria, is the second Chesterton Schools Network location in the diocese.
Chesterton Academy, co-founded in 2008 by Dale Ahlquist, who frequently appears on EWTN, began in the suburbs of Minneapolis and has grown to a network of more than 70 Catholic high schools in the U.S. and abroad. The academies offer a classical, integrated high school education faithful to the teaching of the Catholic Church.
“It really seemed like an incredible opportunity that would take root here in the D.C. area,” said Bethany Hamm, Chesterton Academy of Christ the King board member and former principal of St. Rita School in Alexandria.
“I started exploring the possibility of launching one of these schools, and God sent some other friends and helpers to work on the project with me, and now we’re just a couple weeks away from opening the doors,” she said.
As her own children matriculated, Hamm found herself looking for several things in their future high school: a small student population and a cohesive, tight-knit community; a classical model curriculum; daily Mass; and affordable tuition.
The school will launch with approximately 10 students, using the St. Lawrence parish center’s religious education classrooms. Intentionally small, Chesterton academies offer a screen-free learning environment.
“A classical education uniquely grounds the kids in their own history and the story of this culture they’re inheriting,” Hamm said. “We care deeply about each other; about struggling with the big questions of life — the good, the true and the beautiful. And we’re able to do this in a very affordable way that is a unique opportunity for families in the diocese who might be looking for something a little different.”
Chesterton Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas in Nokesville, about seven miles from Manassas and Gainesville, began classes in 2025, in response to an obvious need.
“In that area, there is no Catholic high school nearby, so Catholic families have to send their kids off in various directions toward Front Royal, or Manassas, or even beyond that,” said Patrick Storey, headmaster. “A handful of families got together, really contemplating this idea of starting a high school. They came across the Chesterton Academy model and they said, ‘Hey, wait, I think we can do this.’ ”
The families, from St. John the Evangelist Church in Warrenton, assembled a board of directors and began fundraising.
Sharing a building with Renaissance Montessori School, this Chesterton Academy starts its second year with about a dozen students in grades 9 through 12. Daily Mass is offered in a former gymnasium.
“Even with just a handful of students in our first year, we had almost 10 colleges come visit to meet the students,” Storey said. “So, there’s already a pretty strong reputation to try to attract Chesterton graduates.”
The St. Jerome Institute of Northern Virginia opens its doors Sept. 2 on the campus of St. Philip Church in Falls Church, following in the footsteps of its namesake school in northeast Washington.
“The desire for it to become instantiated in other places has been on the heart and mind for a long time,” said David Schuler, head of school. “Because of our being located in the DMV, there were relationships that led to the Northern Virginia campus being possible, and courageous people deciding to do something bold for God and his church.”
Twenty-two students, 17 ninth graders and five 10th graders, are set to begin their studies.
“We think we have something beautiful to offer to families that want a Catholic liberal arts education; a very distinct and integrated culture,” said Schuler.
Calling the school’s classical curriculum “a work of art,” he also highlighted its class size.
“You want enough students where there’s a certain kind of dynamism and flow that comes from the exchange of multiple voices,” Schuler said. “You also want it to be smaller than maybe a standard classroom might be, right around the 20-student mark, so it can be still a unified conversation where all are involved.”
The long-term goal is to have about 40 students in every grade.
“It’s a school with an outstanding intellectual formation, and also an absolute blast with the other elements that are part of the program, everything from adventure days to our feasts and celebrations throughout the year,” Schuler said. “So, come be friends with us.”
Heatherington is a freelancer in Alexandria.
