Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic Grades 6–12 Phone +1 320-363-3315 | Established 1857 Gender Coeducational Founded 1857 | |
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Type Private, college-prep, day and boarding school Head of school Fr. Jonathan Licari, OSB Address 2280 Water Tower Rd, Collegeville, MN 56321, USA Accreditation North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Colors Blue, Carolina blue, Cardinal Profiles | ||
Saint John’s Preparatory School (SJP) is a Catholic co-educational, day and boarding college preparatory school located in Collegeville, Minnesota. Founded in 1857, it is located in the Diocese of Saint Cloud and is administered by the Benedictine monks of Saint John's Abbey. The school includes a middle school consisting of grades 6–8 and an upper school consisting of grades 9–12. The student body consists of students from the local area along with 5- and 7-day boarding students from across the United States and around the world. In the 2015–16 academic year, the student body included students from 16 countries.
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Background
Saint John's Preparatory School was established in 1857 by the monks of Saint John's Abbey, a Benedictine monastery located in Collegeville, MN. SJP is the oldest secondary school in Minnesota. It was all-male until 1972 when the nearby all-girls school, St. Benedict's Academy owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, MN closed. The college sections of both schools are still in operation and run as partnered liberal arts institutions.
Today the school has an almost equal number of boys and girls. In 2011, 75% of the students at SJP were from the St. Cloud, Minnesota area, with the remaining 25% coming from out of state and worldwide. The 2013-2014 student body has representation from 17 countries. The Middle School opened in 1997, with 21 7th and 8th-grade students in a combined classroom setting. Since then the Middle School has nearly tripled in size and with high interest from area families, SJP added a 6th-grade program in 2009.
Saint John's Prep has been named an International Baccalaureate World School and has been approved to offer the IB Diploma Programme starting Fall 2011 with the first class graduating with the IB Diploma in 2013.
The current Headmaster is Fr. Jonathan Licari. Fr. Jonathan was ordained a priest in 1976 and professed vows in 1982. He replaced Fr. Timothy Backous, OSB, who finished his second term and moved to a new career in the healthcare industry. Fr. Licari holds doctorate degrees in philosophy and canon law. He taught at Saint John’s School of Theology Seminary from 1982-2001. Fr. Licari previously served as prior to Saint John's Abbey and as pastor at St. John the Baptist Parish in Collegeville, Holy Name Parish in Medina and Seven Dolors Parish in Albany.
Academics
Saint John's Prep is college preparatory school with studies in the fine arts, language arts, and sciences. Listed among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 307 schools) for: Student Test Scores - High average SAT scores. Source: http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_overview.php
College classes
Saint John's Prep shares its 2,700 acres (1,100 ha) campus with Saint John's University, a small, liberal arts university, which is affiliated with the nearby College of Saint Benedict. Each semester, 40-50 students take at least one college class at SJU or CSB.
Exchange programs
Saint John's Prep offers a year-long study abroad opportunity with the Benedictine Gymnasium in Melk, Austria.
Athletic facilities
Prep uses several athletic facilities on the SJU campus, including:
Clemens Stadium- Current home of the Track and Field Team, with a 400m track and a separate location for shot-put and discus. The Natural Bowl is also the former home of the Football team. (Football has recently been co-oped with St. Cloud Technical Senior School).