A Joyfully Catholic, Classical High School
W A U S A U, W I S C O N S I N
Opening Fall 2027
A new high school.
A timeless education.
In the fall of 2027, something rare will happen in central Wisconsin: a new high school will open its doors. Newman Catholic Chesterton Academy will welcome its founding classes of ninth and tenth graders on the Newman Catholic Classical School: Holy Name campus in Wausau, adding a grade each year until it stands as a full four-year high school in 2029.
For families in central Wisconsin who have longed for a classical Catholic education beyond eighth grade, the path now continues. For students ready for an education built on truth, goodness, and beauty, the adventure is just beginning.
A student's day here begins in the chapel and unfolds through Latin, literature, mathematics, music, and lively seminar discussion — every subject taught as part of one integrated whole, with the Incarnation at the center. By the end of four years, our students haven't just covered material; they've built minds.
An Incarnational Environment. From history and theology to math and science, the Incarnation is the central mystery we explore across the entire curriculum — and the school day is anchored in daily Mass, where that exploration begins.
Truth, Goodness & Beauty. A broad liberal arts education with a singular focus: forming Christian virtue and training the eye to recognize the beautiful in every discipline.
The Socratic Seminar. Our teachers don't lecture at students; they reason with them. Directed questions and guided dialogue bring ideas to life and build the habits that last a lifetime: thinking clearly, listening generously, and speaking with conviction.
The Great Books. Homer, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare, Austen — our students read the original works that shaped civilization, and discover they have something to say to a teenager in Wausau.
Latin for every student. The language of the Church and the root of careful thinking — and a proven head start for law, medicine, and the sciences.
Old books, big questions, joyful minds.
The Lost Tools of Learning. Reading deeply, writing well, presenting persuasively, and reasoning through logic and philosophy — skills our modern world has nearly forgotten, and our curriculum is built to recover.
Low-tech by design. An intentionally distraction-free environment develops what the modern world is busy eroding: sustained focus and depth of thought.
A Joyful Learning Environment. Students experience the joy of community and of discovery, living out their spiritual lives in an atmosphere of warmth and fun. At a Chesterton school, joy isn't a perk — it's the point.
The Wit & Wisdom of G.K. Chesterton. Our patron exemplified the Catholic faith through his wit, his clarity, his kindness, and his rare ability to love the people with whom he disagreed. We aim to graduate students who can do the same.
The result? Graduates with the character, knowledge, and spiritual depth to lead — in college, in their vocations, and in life.
Brand new in Wausau.
Proven across the nation.
Newman Catholic Chesterton Academy is a member of the Chesterton Schools Network — more than ninety joyfully Catholic, classical high schools across the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America, named for G.K. Chesterton, the English writer, convert, and "apostle of common sense."
Every Chesterton school shares one mission: to help parents raise up a generation of joyful saints and leaders, educated in the classical tradition and the truths of the Catholic faith, in order to serve the common good. Our rigorous, integrated curriculum unlocks each student's potential — preparing them to succeed in college and professional life, and to excel in service of family, of country, and of Christ our Lord.
In December 2025, the Network received the $1 million Yass Prize, widely regarded as the nation's top honor for education innovation. As a member school, the Academy opens its doors with a proven curriculum, national accreditation support, and the wisdom of dozens of schools that have walked this road before us — while remaining rooted right here in the Wausau community.
The capstone of a classical journey
The Academy opens in association with Newman Catholic Schools, whose Newman Catholic Classical School: Holy Name serves families from kindergarten through eighth grade. Together, the two schools complete something central Wisconsin families have never had before: a full K–12 classical Catholic education in Wausau — one welcoming front door, from a child's first day of kindergarten to high school graduation.
The road to opening day.
Founding gifts make the school possible.
Donors who give in these first years become part of the Academy’s story forever.
Be a founding family
Every great school has a first class — the students and families whose names are woven into its story forever. The Academy's story starts with you.
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Nondiscrimination statement
Newman Catholic Chesterton Academy admits students of any race, color, sex, national origin, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.