Our History

 

 

Background:
St. John Paul II Catholic School (StJPII) is an independent Catholic school located in West Houston near Eldridge Road and Briar Forest Drive. The school was established in 1988 as a private independent Catholic school. StJPII is a registered, non-profit corporation in the state of Texas with a corporate Board of Directors. The fall of 1988 was the school's first year, opening with fifty six students in pre-kindergarten through third grade. In 2014, John Paul II was canonized a Saint by Pope Francis. At that time, the school's name was officially changed to St. John Paul II Catholic School. Today, StJPII stands as one of the largest grade schools in the Archdiocese, with enrollment of approximately 700 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, with three homerooms per grade level. StJPII is committed to academic excellence while focusing on traditional Catholic values by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department.

Growth Through the Years:
Since it's inception, the StJPII student population has grown with additional programs, facilities, and staff. While classes were originally held in a collection of temporary buildings, permanent classrooms were opened in 1994 and 1998, when the gymnasium was also completed. Construction continued in 2004-2005, when facilities were expanded with more classrooms, a library, and a space dedicated to fine arts. In August 2011, StJPII increased facility space again with building an additional 20,000 square feet which included the activity center with a full kitchen, cafeteria, stage, and choir classroom. At that time, the gym was also remodeled with a PTO workroom, PE offices, athletics storage, and girls and boys locker rooms. New offices, a science lab, and art room connected the main building to the gym. Construction included covered walkways along the front of the campus for carpool. In 2012, the campus was completed with the addition of the beautiful All Saints Chapel. In 2023, StJPII embarked upon the "For Every Saint" Capital Campaign, a $4 million initiative aimed at elevating the facilities to match the dignity and excellence of the formation StJPII provides. This campaign will fund significant upgrades, including enhancements to the All Saints Chapel, the creation of a state-of-the-art Aquinas Center for Excellence, improvements to the athletic fields, and an expansion of the endowment to keep tuition affordable for all families.

Honors:

• In 2020, StJPII was recognized as a "Catholic Honor Roll School" by the Cardinal Newman Society, the only school in the Houston area with this distinction.
• In 2024, StJPII earned its STEM Certification from the National Institute for STEM Education.
• On September 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education honored StJPII with the prestigious title of 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. This national distinction recognizes schools across the country for exceptional academic performance, and StJPII is proud to stand among the top educational institutions in the United States. What makes this achievement truly extraordinary is that StJPII has now received this honor an unprecedented four times — previously in 1997, 2008, 2018, and again in 2024.  Fewer than 1% of schools have ever been recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools, let alone multiple times across four consecutive decades. StJPII has earned this award more times than any other elementary school, public or private, in Texas, and is one of only nine elementary schools in the entire U.S. to receive this distinction as often. These accolades are only possible thanks to the grace of God!

Looking Ahead:
StJPII moves forward as a unique Catholic school, excelling in both academic excellence and outstanding Catholic spiritual formation, all while embracing the patron's words of "Be not afraid..."  While some graduates choose to enroll their local public high school, most StJPII students traditionally attend the following private schools: Duchesne Academy, Houston Christian, Incarnate Word Academy, St. Agnes Academy, St. John XXIII, St. Pius X, St. Thomas High School, and Strake Jesuit.