A comparison of
St. Athanasius & St. Catherine's (SASC),
Regina Caeli, and Chesterton Academies
Kansas City families are blessed with several exceptional options for classical Catholic education.
St. Athanasius & St. Catherine's (SASC), Regina Caeli, and Chesterton all share a commitment to the True, the Good, and the Beautiful.
However, our models, schedules, and focuses differ in many ways.
We invite you to compare these distinct paths to find the right fit for your family.
We recognize the adolescent years as a critical bridge to adulthood—a pivotal time when children must transition into the real world and the culture they will inherit. We do not believe in sheltering them indefinitely, nor in leaving them to navigate this transition alone. We treat students as responsible young adults. In many ways, attending SASC is teaching our students the same skills that are learned at the university setting them up for success no matter what comes next.
We have not made these decisions based on trends, but on significant research regarding adolescent development and the crisis of modern education. We invite you to explore the three papers referenced from our Headmaster's area, which back our commitment to:
We are forming "Cultural Apostles"—equipping them not just to survive in the culture, but to enter it confidently and transform it through beauty, truth, and virtue.
| Feature | St. Athanasius & St. Catherine's |
Regina Caeli | Chesterton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Time | ✓ High 3 days at home. Flexible enrollment options |
✓ High 3 days at home |
✗ Limited Many students 50/60+ hours/week away from home |
| Grade Focus | ✓ High School Only | ✗ K - 12 (All Ages) | ✓ High School Only |
| Core Curriculum | ✓ Classical Catholic | ✓ Classical Catholic | ✓ Classical Catholic |
| Costs | ✓ $1-3k | ✗ $4-5k | ✗ $7-8k |
| Arts Curriculum | ✓ Sacred Arts Studio Master/Apprentice model (Iconography, Ceramics, etc..). |
✗ General Arts Fine arts & music; limited HS focus. |
✓ Performing Arts Focus Strong Choir/Drama + integrated Fine Arts. |
| Technology Use | ✓ Low Tech / Book Based | ✓ Low Tech / Book Based | ✓ Low Tech / Book Based |
| Social Environment | ✓ Practical Separation Sexes separated for much of the day. |
✗ Co-Ed Environment Boys and girls are together. |
✗ Co-Ed Environment Boys and girls are together. |
| Community | ✓ Intimate & Focused Small cohorts size, minimal age/gender distractions. |
✓ Family Centered Multi-age on campus days. |
✓ House System Promotes tighter community within the whole. |
| Spiritual Life | ✓ Prayer & Daily Mass Worship together daily with peers. |
✗ No Daily Mass Prayer, but no mass with peers. |
✓ Prayer & Daily Mass Worship together daily with peers. |
We believe parents are the primary educators. While Chesterton offers an excellent 5-day education, our 2-Day Hybrid model gives families three days a week back. SASC provides the rigorous classical structure on campus, and gives you the time to bring that formation home on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
SASC is specialized for the High School years. We are not a multi-age facility; we are focused on rhetoric and reason. This allows us to focus all our resources, mentorship, and environment specifically on the unique needs of the adolescent mind, body and soul.
Whether you choose hybrid or full-time, every school claims to value the arts. But SASC has the infrastructure to prove it. With our Classical Arts Studio, we don't just teach art history; we give students the time, materials and guidance to create beauty. This is unmatched in the local landscape.