The Catholic Diocese of Raleigh has agreed to transition the administrative oversight of John Paul II Catholic High School to a private owner and board that will operate John Paul II as an independent Catholic high school.
The formal transition will occur at the end of the current school year and prior to the start of fall 2021 classes. While the details of the transfer of school assets and transitioning of staff are being finalized, the intent is to provide a seamless transition which maintains the school’s recent trajectory of positive growth and momentum. As proposed, the school would no longer be part of the Catholic school system of the diocese but would operate as an independent Catholic high school within the diocese, similar to Saint Thomas More Academy in Raleigh and Cristo Rey RTP in Durham. This means that the owners will facilitate daily operations of the school while maintaining a Catholic identity and religious education with the approval of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh.
Following the transition, the school will be fully owned and administrated by Richard and Colleen Balot. The land and facilities of John Paul II are currently owned by the Balots. In recent years they have also funded the addition of a 600-seat gymnasium and 900-seat stadium at the school, which currently has an enrollment of 151 students. In addition to purchasing land and facilities for John Paul II High School, the Balots have provided more than $2 million in tuition assistance through Balot Family Scholarships.