THEN AND NOW: JOHN PAUL II CATHOLIC SCHOOL TURNS VISION INTO REALITY

Offering Academic Rigor, Artistic Expression, Athletic Achievement, and Spiritual Growth

story by KAREN SNYDER                  photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY

The dream in the hearts of many Beaufort County families longing for a Catholic high school was a passionate one. With two Lowcountry Catholic schools serving K-8 students, one north of the Broad in Beaufort and one south of the Broad in Hilton Head, the need to build a school where students could continue their Catholic education became evident in the late 1990s. Before the school could be built, though, the Diocese of Charleston required that a third Catholic elementary school be established in the region to serve as a feeder school for the proposed high school.

Once St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, located in Bluffton, SC, one of the fastest-growing towns in the state, opened its elementary school in 2007, the roadmap to realizing the dream of a regional Catholic high school began. Just two years prior, the Diocese had purchased 57 acres of land from the Trask family off Highway 170 in Jasper County. So, with approval given, volunteers from the Catholic parishes in the Lowcountry dedicated themselves to the tasks of future project development, fundraising, and construction of the Catholic high school. By 2011, the master plan was completed, a new 73-acre lot with greater highway frontage was negotiated with the Trask family (replacing the previous purchase), and fundraising efforts were launched. Three years later, John Paul II Catholic School (JPII) opened its doors in August 2013. Now with three Catholic grade schools within a 35-minute drive of the new school, JPII’s future as a thriving high school, providing challenging academics and continued spiritual growth for Lowcountry students seeking a Catholic school education, was solidified.

Educating Students of All Faiths in a Supportive, Caring Environment
Constructing the facility, which includes a two-story school building (28,000 sq ft), an athletic center (21,000 sq ft), and athletic fields, was one part of a greater goal of the school mission “to educate students of all faiths in a caring, Christ-centered environment.” Among the core values at JPII are a love of God and service to others; high expectations for academic excellence and respectful behavior; innovations and creativity in solving problems in new and innovative ways; excellence in the classroom and on the field and stage; empowerment of strong Christian leaders; and discipleship as followers of Jesus and modeling a Christian lifestyle.

Leading this effort is Principal John McCarthy, who says, “In just the last year, the school has seen impressive growth from a student population of 218 to 258, with projections to reach the capacity of 300 students by 2022.” McCarthy arrived in the Lowcountry in 2017 from New England with 34 years of experience in both public and private school administration and teaching. After serving as a school superintendent for eight years in two Massachusetts districts, he built a home in Habersham with plans to retire with his wife and enjoy the flexibility that retirement would bring. But God, he says, had different plans. After asking his wife to “pray for my purpose” during Mass one Sunday, within days, the answer to this prayer resulted in his learning of the opening for a new JPII principal. He began his principalship a few months later in June 2019.

“The school is truly like no other I have experienced in either my public or Catholic school background. The strong faith-based environment is unique. Students, staff, and teachers are truly respectful and care for one another. Because we’re a smaller learning environment compared to area schools, we’re like a family here,” says McCarthy, adding that he’s able to call practically every student by name.

Educating grades 7-12, McCarthy reports about 75 percent of the school population comes from the six area Catholic parishes. A growing number of students come from area public schools who have never experienced a Catholic education. Though the school has continued to grow, McCarthy says it’s this “small school with the big school program” that attracts new families and allows JPII to provide a safe and supportive learning environment.

“You just simply can’t fall through the cracks here like students sometimes experience elsewhere. It’s impossible. When parents wonder, ‘Is my child going to succeed at JPII?’ We can confidently say, ‘Yes,’ whether their child is seeking academic challenge or needs support,” he explains.

Providing Opportunities in Academics, Athletics, and the Arts
As one of the newer private schools in South Carolina, JPII continues to expand its impressive academic portfolio beyond what most public or other private schools offer their students. This includes some 20 Advanced Placement (AP) courses including an AP Capstone Diploma; eight Pre-AP courses that allow 8th grade students to receive high school credit for their coursework; and Project Lead the Way programs of study that offer 14 hands-on and engaging courses in the life sciences, physical sciences, biomedical sciences, computer sciences, and engineering.
“Our curricular offerings are stellar at JPII,” McCarthy emphasized, “but we also offer plenty of opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities too. That includes 18 sports fielding 30 teams. When students attend a school like JPII with a smaller student population, that means students who want to play sports are able to play sports!”

Still, JPII looks forward to accomplishing plenty more in its future, such as a STEAM Innovation Center, which it hopes to open in 2024. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. After completing a feasibility study, the school will begin its fundraising efforts for the new facility, adding 16,000 square feet of forward-thinking educational space to welcome 160 additional students beyond the current capacity. It will provide a collaborative and creative problem-solving approach to teaching and learning. Other plans include expanding the Athletic Center, which will provide a home for the growing JPII Performing Arts program.

What is perhaps most impressive is the community support for the school’s five-year strategic plan. “Having graduated our first class of ‘Golden Warriors’ in 2017, those students are just now completing college. That means we don’t have a large alumni base from which to raise funds, and the parents of those students are probably still paying for college tuition. So, we have to rely on the generosity of our benefactors — community members who value the quality of a Catholic education in our region,” McCarthy explains. “The residents of Spring Island, for example, have raised $300,000 toward our STEAM program, which provides everything from teacher training to supplies for which we are extremely grateful.”

Likewise, reports McCarthy, the school raises some half-million dollars per year with $200,000 of those funds going to scholarships for students. “We never want to turn any student away. So, we work hard to make every effort to ensure that students who want to attend JPII can do so.”

Perhaps what best describes John Paul II Catholic School’s continued success is its impressive student retention rate of 90 percent. “We’re so proud of this accomplishment,” says McCarthy, adding that it is the highest retention percentage the school has seen in its history. “I believe it speaks to the quality of our academic programs, our supportive and caring school culture, and the fact that our students are happy and thriving here!”

According to McCarthy, he believes the recent pandemic caused parents to re-evaluate the quality of their children’s educational experiences. “While many students were learning remotely or partially online during those 12 to 18 months, JPII was fully in-person. Some of our area students were struggling to learn in a virtual environment. So, beginning in August 2020, we saw an influx of students, many coming from local public schools. It was the first time many of these students had attended a Catholic school. We’re glad that once they were here, they liked what they saw and stayed.”

Also accounting for the school’s additional growth says McCarthy, are families moving to the Lowcountry from areas including California, Texas, the Midwest, and the Northeast, who previously attended a Catholic school and wished to continue their children’s academic growth in a similar school environment. “We’re blessed that JPII allows these families and their children to continue their spiritual journey and education in the Catholic tradition.”

McCarthy, who says he doesn’t view his role as principal as a job but rather a “purpose” and a “calling,” looks forward to welcoming many more students to JPII and having a positive impact on families across the Lowcountry. Enrollment is open to children from all faith traditions, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. To learn more about John Paul II Catholic School, visit the school website at johnpaul2school.org, join the virtual Open House on Sunday, January 30, at 12 p.m., or schedule a private tour by contacting the school office at 843-645-3838.