St. John Paul II STEM Academy at Bellarmine-Jefferson was a private, STEM-focused Catholic high school in Burbank, California, launched in August 2019. It was owned and administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles at the former site of Bellarmine-Jefferson High School, which had closed in 2018.[2] St. John Paul II STEM Academy closed in 2020 after one year of operation.[3]
| St. John Paul II STEM Academy at Bellarmine-Jefferson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
465 East Olive Avenue , , 91501 United States | |
| Coordinates | 34°11′3″N 118°18′20″W / 34.18417°N 118.30556°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Motto | God helping me, I will do my best today |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Patron saint(s) | St. John Paul II |
| Established | 2019 |
| Status | Closed |
| Closed | 2020 |
| President | Dr. Jeff Hilger |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Athletics conference | CIF - Southern Section Camino Del Rey Association |
| Accreditation | Western Association of Schools and Colleges[1] |
| Website | http://www.jpstem.org |
Background edit
In October 2017, The Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced that it would close Bellarmine-Jefferson High School at the end of the 2017–18 academic year, and would re-open after restructuring in 2019. The creation of a STEM Academy was announced in June 2018, with an opening date of August 2019 and Jeff Hilger hired as its founding director.[4] The school would be dedicated to the recently-canonized St. John Paul II.[5]
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to Archdiocesan schools, and the nascent academy closed in 2020 after a single year of operation.[6]
Academics edit
JP2 STEM Academy had two specialized pathways: Engineering and Media Arts. The academic day was to feature a 4×4 block schedule. Students would take four semester-length courses at a time, arranged in a block schedule. Students would also complete courses in ethics and humanities. In order to graduate, each senior would have completed a Capstone Project.[7]
See also edit
Notes and references edit
- ^ WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ "St. John Paul II Academy Will Replace Bell-Jeff High in 2019". MyBurbank. 13 August 2018. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^ "Bell-Jeff and St. John Paul II Information". Archdiocese of Los Angeles. 2021-03-06. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
In August 2019, St. John Paul II STEM Academy at Bellarmine-Jefferson launched with a freshmen class but ceased operations in June 2020 after one year.
- ^ Campa, Andrew J. (December 11, 2018). "St. John Paul II STEM Academy introduces itself to Burbank". Burbank Leader. Archived from the original on 2023-09-18. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
- ^ Campa, Andrew J. (August 13, 2019), "St. John Paul II STEM Academy opens with small but hopeful class", Burbank Leader, retrieved 2023-09-18
- ^ Campa, Andrew J. (April 3, 2021), "Six Los Angeles Catholic schools to close, the pandemic a final blow after years of struggle", The Los Angeles Times, archived from the original on 2023-06-01, retrieved 2023-09-18
- ^ "New L.A. STEM school inspired by JPII". Catholic News Agency. Archived from the original on 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
External links edit
- [https://lacatholics.org/archive-info/Archdiocese of Los Angeles: Bell-Jeff ad St. John Paul II Information