Barat Academy

Barat Academy is an independent college preparatory school, in Chesterfield, Missouri for grades 6–12. It was founded in 2007 in the traditions of the Sacred Heart. It is the first co-educational completely independent^[2] Catholic high school in the state of Missouri.^[3] Barat Academy is the only private, independent, Catholic high school in St. Louis that offers single gender classes on a co-ed campus.^[4] The Barat Academy experience includes a strong faith-based environment, a college preparatory curriculum, and a firm commitment to service. Barat Academy's mascot is an eagle and its colors are red and white.

School ranking and review site, Niche.com, gives Barat Academy an "A" overall ranking. It placed Barat Academy as the No. 20 best college prep private high school out of 92 schools in the State of Missouri. In addition, Barat Academy ranked No. 11 out of 162 schools for most diverse private high schools in Missouri. ^[5]

The school has a history of financial troubles, and was sued for eviction in 2022.^[6]

History

Barat Academy opened to a class of freshmen in 2007, added tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades over the following three years, and graduated its first class in May 2011. It is founded in the traditions of the Sacred Heart. The school was named after Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart.^[7] An anonymous gift of about $1.65 million in 2007 covered tuition for the school’s inaugural class of 150 students.^[8]

Barat Academy was first located in Dardenne Prairie when it opened its doors in 2007, but relocated to Chesterfield, Missouri in 2011 when the bank that held its mortgage collapsed in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis.^[9] Moving to a neighboring county caused a steep drop in enrollment and contributed to the school's financial issues.^[2] During the 2009-2010 school year, Barat had 181 students in grades 9 through 11. That increased to 250 students for the 2010-2011 school year as Barat added a 12th grade.^[9] The cross-county move cost Barat Academy about 40 students.^[10]

Barat Academy had its first graduating class in 2011. Since then, 549 students have graduated from the school, including 81 international students from China, Italy, Mexico, South Korea, Vietnam, and Ukraine. Barat Academy's graduates went on to enroll in over 250 colleges and universities in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Barat Academy graduates have received over $3,000,000/year in college scholarships. In its short history, Barat Academy has also produced 4 National Merit Finalists and 3 Commended – representing the top 1% of students in high school in America.

Curriculum

In addition to courses in traditional college preparatory curriculum, Barat Academy provides students with a number of choices in electives. Students can also take a number of AP courses and advanced college credit course through collaboration with universities. Currently, Barat Academy offers the following AP courses:

• AP Biology
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Calculus BC
• AP U.S. Government
• AP Human Geography
• AP Literature & Composition
• AP Microeconomics
• AP Macroeconomics
• AP Music Theory
• AP Physics
• AP Psychology
• AP Spanish
• AP Statistics

Service Learning 

The Service Learning program is an integral part of the curriculum at Barat Academy. Student's academic classes intersect with Service Learning, through what they read in English, experiment and study in science, and discuss in social studies and theology. The Service Learning Program is designed to instill in Barat students an appreciation for the world and a sense of our responsibility to preserve it.

Each grade level has its own theme: freshmen focus on "Environmental Awareness and Ecological Stewardship," sophomores focus on "Nurturing our Youthful Neighbors," and juniors focus on "Assisting Area Adults." Seniors, through their "Peace Project," choose to delve deeper into an issue in which they are most passionate.

Nyomi Sankar, currently a sophomore at Barat Academy, provided a good example of the power of service learning through her brave volunteering and service to others. In May 2022, Nyomi travelled to Przemysl, Poland, and lived with the Little Servant Sisters where she, her mom and younger sister worked on the “front lines” with women and children who were temporarily housed with the Little Servant Sisters after crossing the Ukraine border. Her story was featured on NBC station in St. Louis.^[11]

Athletics

• In 2013, the Barat Academy Boys Golf Team won the Missouri Class 1 Boys Golf State Championship. Team members Trevor Cronin and Sean Weber finished #1 and #2 in the individual results.^[12]
• In 2014, the Barat Academy Boys Golf Team won the Missouri Class 1 Boys Golf State Championship for the second subsequent year.^[13]

Notes and references

External links

• Official website