Pasadena’s First Private High School Takes Shape in Riviera Beach
For Pasadena parents considering where their children will spend their high school years, a new option is taking shape close to home. Divine Mercy Academy is preparing to open a high school in fall 2027, extending its existing kindergarten-through-eighth-grade program and bringing what school officials describe as Pasadena’s first private high school to the community.
The high school will be located in the St. Jane Frances de Chantal School building in Riviera Beach. The expansion will offer a classical liberal arts education in the Catholic tradition, with classes capped at 20 students and an emphasis on academic growth, faith and character. For the inaugural students, it will also offer something less common: a chance to help create the traditions that future classes will inherit.
“They won’t simply attend DMA High School; they will help build it,” said Jeanette Sudano, DMA’s director of strategic initiatives.
Sudano said the school hopes to meet a need among families seeking private high school education without leaving their local community. The high school will allow DMA students to continue through graduation while welcoming new families interested in its educational approach.
A School That Began With a Family’s Search
The planned high school marks another chapter in a story that began during a family road trip on October 13, 2017.
DMA founder Ali Ghaffari and his wife, Mary, were driving to Ohio with their children when they listened to Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option. The book’s account of St. Jerome Academy in Hyattsville, which revitalized its program by adopting a classical liberal arts curriculum, prompted Ghaffari to search for a similar education for his own daughters.
Ghaffari’s path to Catholic education was a personal one. Raised in Vermont as an atheist in a nominally United Methodist family, he attended Phillips Academy Andover and Colby College before entering the Catholic Church at Easter in 2004. A career naval officer whose flying experience included carrier-based F/A-18s, he later taught leadership and ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy. He also earned master’s degrees in philosophy and theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary.
As the Ghaffaris explored classical schools, distance, waiting lists and part-time schedules made the available options difficult for their family. Their search gradually became an effort to establish a school themselves.
An initial volunteer meeting in August 2018 set the work in motion. Finding space required approaching dozens of churches, and recruiting teachers, students and leadership brought further challenges. According to Ghaffari’s founding account, one teacher’s offer to work without pay until funds became available helped make the opening possible.
DMA opened in fall 2019 after enrollment reached 19 students by August, with a potential 20th student considering joining on the final day before school began. At its heart was the Ghaffaris’ desire for an education centered on truth, beauty and goodness – a philosophy that will now extend into the high school years.
Connecting Ideas Across the Classroom
The high school curriculum will span the humanities, mathematics, sciences, theology, languages and fine arts. Great Books and the classical tradition will play an important role, with students encouraged to connect ideas across subjects and examine questions about human nature, virtue and the world around them.
Sudano said the goal is to develop students who can read carefully, reason logically and communicate persuasively, preparing them for college, careers and adult responsibilities.
Small classes are intended to support discussion and close relationships with teachers. Academic support and college preparation are being incorporated into the program, with guidance expected to expand as students advance toward graduation.
Catholic faith will be integral to daily school life. Sudano said students will attend daily Mass, with prayer, theology, service and the sacraments woven into their experience. The campus also offers access to a parish church and Eucharistic Adoration Chapel.
Building a High School Community
A portion of the St. Jane Frances de Chantal School building will be sectioned off and dedicated to high school students, creating a distinct space within DMA’s existing campus. Preparations include dedicated high school classrooms, a separate hallway, lockers, lounge space and a designated entrance. Students will also have access to a science lab, library, production stage, cafeteria, recreational green space and athletic fields.
Plans for student life include athletics through the Metro Independent Schools Athletic League, music, choir, fine arts and service activities. Possible clubs include mock trial, chess, dance, newspaper and yearbook, with offerings developing according to enrollment and student interest.
Founding students will have a voice in shaping clubs, dances, homecoming and other traditions. Older students may also have opportunities to mentor younger children while maintaining their own high school spaces and academic experience.
“In a smaller school, students aren’t simply one person among hundreds,” Sudano said. “Their teachers know their strengths and challenges, their families are part of the community, and students have meaningful opportunities to lead.”
What Families Should Know
Applications for the inaugural class are being accepted with rolling review. The process includes academic records, teacher recommendations, an admissions assessment and a student essay. Applicants may submit either the CLT8 or HSPT, and families can explore the school through tours, open houses and shadow opportunities.
Tuition for the 2027–2028 school year is $13,500, with tuition of $12,500 for each additional child in grades nine through 12. The school also lists a one-time $100 application fee and a $500 registration fee. Limited financial aid will be available during the initial years.
Students who apply by October 1, 2026, are eligible for a Founders Discount of $1,000 off tuition per year.
As preparations continue, Sudano encourages parents to visit, meet teachers and families, and ask questions about both the school’s vision and the work still ahead.
“Being first does require a sense of adventure, but it also offers something extraordinary: the opportunity for your child and family to help shape a school that we hope will serve Pasadena for generations,” she said.
Families interested in learning more can attend Divine Mercy Academy’s first-ever High School Open House this Sunday, September 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 8513 St. Jane Drive in Riviera Beach. Visitors will have an opportunity to explore the future high school space, meet school leadership and learn about the classical Catholic program ahead of its fall 2027 opening.
To learn more about Divine Mercy Academy, visit Divine Mercy Academy’s website.
1 Comment
I compliment everyone associated in all the hard work of resurrecting this school. Congratulations to all and may God bless you and all your students and teachers.