A preschool through grade 8 Dorchester neighborhood school 
Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy (SJPllCA) is the largest accredited Catholic elementary school in New England serving over 1,200 children from ages 2.9 through grade 8 in Boston. Our campuses are located in the Dorchester neighborhoods of Lower Mills, Columbia and Neponset.
- Financial Aid: $1.5 million is awarded to our students each year.
- Scholarships: $1.3 million received by 2019 Academy graduates.
- A Strong Start: Our early-education students are 40% less likely to repeat a grade, 30% more likely to graduate from high school and more than twice as likely to go to college.
- Future Success: 66% attend a Catholic high school – 97% graduate high school – 92% attend a four year college or university.
Large enough to serve you, small enough to know you.
“My teacher helps us learn new things, even when it’s hard! She makes sure we have lots of movement breaks and helps me make new friends!”
K1 student Neponset Campus Neponset Campus
"The teachers are very strong educators; they want to see how much they can stretch your brain and they want you to conquer a lot of success in your life."
Grade 3 student Lower Mills Campus Lower Mills Campus
“What I like about school is that we get to explore things. Teachers make class fun and it makes it easier to learn.”
Grade 8 student Columbia Campus Columbia Campus
The Academy is a co-sponsored school of the Campaign for Catholic Schools (CCS). CCS brings the resources of top business and civic leaders to the Academy that set a new standard for urban Catholic education and change lives.