Faculty, staff, and friends of Chesterton Academy in Bowling Green are seen during the school’s June 16, 2026 ribbon cutting with the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. COURTESY OF CHESTERTON ACADEMY
Chesterton Academy looks to help students ‘grow in virtue’ as inaugural class begins this fall
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
Every time he welcomes someone into the facilities that will soon house the inaugural class of Chesterton Academy of Bowling Green, “I am filled with pride,” said the new headmaster.
“The teachers I’ve been hiring have been excited,” said Dr. Tom A. Stewart, Chesterton Academy’s headmaster. “We’re eager to build this little community with our students and our families.”
Chesterton Academy’s first day of classes is Aug. 12. The classical high school is located in the DeVries Pastoral Center on the campus of St. Joseph Parish in Bowling Green, but it hopes to expand to a building of its own in the future.
Historically, St. Joseph School had a high school, but it closed in 1965.
Dr. Stewart said every new Chesterton Academy – there are almost 100 in the worldwide Chesterton Schools Network – opens with ninth and tenth graders. A junior class is added the following year, and in their third year they add a senior class.
And naturally, “we add freshmen each year,” said Dr. Stewart, who worked in public education for 30+ years before joining Chesterton Academy this summer.
With their motto as a “joyfully Catholic classical academy,” Dr. Stewart said that “we believe students should enjoy coming to school.”
The Chesterton schools are named after British Catholic intellectual G.K. Chesterton, who died in 1936 and was known for having joyful disposition.
As a classical school, Chesterton Academy offers a humanities sequence, literature, history, philosophy, theology, and a foreign language, in addition to standard high school subjects like math and science. Dr. Stewart said the curriculum also emphasizes the fine arts, including drama and music.
He said this helps students grow into well-formed adults with strong leadership skills.
“Chesterton graduates are well-prepared for college, if that’s the student’s vocation,” he said, adding that these schools aim to “help students and families with the discernment process” whether that be college, the workforce, the military, or priesthood/religious life.
Dr. Steward added that “the primary goal is to help them grow in virtue and determine and discern God’s will.”
In terms of athletics, he said the academy plans to join the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) as soon as they are certified as a non-public school in Kentucky.
Dr. Stewart said tuition is affordable, but “we never want tuition alone to be a family’s deciding factor so financial aid and scholarships are also available.”
“I’m excited for our students and families to have a Catholic high school again,” he said. “It’s a huge honor to be the headmaster.”
Student application information for Chesterton Academy of Bowling Green, including details about financial aid options, may be found at https://chestertonbgky.com/admissions.
Dr. Tom A. Stewart, headmaster of Chesterton Academy of Bowling Green, speaks during the school’s June 16, 2026 ribbon cutting. COURTESY OF CHESTERTON ACADEMY
Originally printed in the August 2026 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
