ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
EDUCATING MEN FOR OTHERS SINCE 1818
A MISSION WORTH LEADING Since 1818, St. Louis University High has formed young men in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition. As the oldest secondary school west of the Mississippi River, SLUH brings together a deep sense of history with a leading college preparatory program of academics, faith formation, arts and athletics. Its enduring mission seeks to form young men of competence, conscience, compassion and commitment, “men who will live not for themselves but for God and his Christ.” Located in the city of St. Louis, SLUH is the school of choice for talented students from across the greater metropolitan area who seek an excellent Jesuit education accessible regardless of a family’s economic circumstances. Students are
challenged to think critically, lead courageously and transform the world as Men for Others. The next SLUH Principal will join a community distinguished by academic rigor, a strong culture of brotherhood and a commitment to the whole person. He or she will provide visible educational leadership while building trusted, collaborative relationships across the SLUH community.
POSITION TO BEGIN: JULY 1, 2027
MISSION We are a Catholic, Jesuit collegepreparatory high school for young men, committed to our presence in the city of St. Louis and dedicated to building Christ’s kingdom of truth, justice, love and peace. We serve young men based on their ability to succeed, rather than their economic circumstances.
Through a rigorous academic program, we help our students develop critical minds and a life-long devotion to learning that informs moral choices and transforms lives. In addition to assisting in the intellectual, aesthetic, social, and physical formation of our students, we help them develop compassionate hearts by fostering habits of personal prayer, reflection, and service for the Greater Glory of God.
ABOUT SLUH
The school’s distinctive approach is grounded in cura personalis, or care for the whole person. Faculty and staff know students as learners, teammates, artists, friends and emerging leaders. Through classroom instruction, co-curricular participation, retreats, service and mentoring relationships, SLUH seeks to help each student recognize his gifts and place them at the service of others. The SLUH community reflects the breadth of the St. Louis region. Its commitment to need-blind admission and meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need supports a student body enriched by diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
PAST HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS: • National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence • National Green Ribbon School • U.S. Top STEM High Schools list (Newsweek) • Top Workplace (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) • Best Private High School (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
At SLUH, intellectual curiosity and faith formation are inseparable. Students encounter a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum while developing the habits of reflection, responsibility and service that characterize a Jesuit education. The SLUH mission asks young men to grow not only in knowledge and skill, but also in their capacity to discern, to care for others and to contribute thoughtfully to a complex world.
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TEACHING FACULTY
FACULTY AND STAFF SNAPSHOT The SLUH faculty and staff bring deep subject expertise, a commitment to adolescent formation and a shared dedication to the Jesuit mission.
FACULTY ADVANCED DEGREES
90+ MASTERS 8 DOCTORATE 1 JD
8 COUNSELORS 2 LIBRARIANS 2 LEARNING CONSULTANTS 5 JESUIT PRIESTS 175 EMPLOYEES 4 SCHOOL, 4 COLLEGE
Average service of 16.4 years among faculty and 12.6 years across all employees reflects a culture of deep commitment and continuity at SLUH.
JESUIT PURPOSE AND VALUES
• Provides a rigorous, holistic collegepreparatory education for young men. • Forms Men for Others who embody the characteristics of the Graduate at Graduation: open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving and committed to doing justice. • Educates the whole person – intellectually, spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically. • Creates a community in which students, families, faculty, staff and alumni are called to mutual respect, belonging and shared responsibility.
Nearly 200 living alumni have responded to God’s call to serve as priests, deacons, brothers and seminarians.
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
As an apostolic work of the Society of Jesus and the Catholic Church, SLUH:
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STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND RECENT INITIATIVES Over the years – through adversity, expansions and a variety of challenges – SLUH has carefully grown its endowment. Now valued at approximately $120 million, the endowment has tripled over the past decade, thanks to the generosity of benefactors and the forwardlooking stewardship of the Board of Trustees.
INSTITUTIONAL GROWTH AND INNOVATION Go Forth campaign Completed in 2022, this historic campaign invested more than $75 million in scholarship, campus improvements and student programming. Its impact includes a new academic center for success, innovation lab, renovated chapel and enhanced spaces for campus ministry, student collaboration, global education and sustainability. The Go Forth campaign also expanded college counseling, retreat and service programs, introduced Arabic language instruction, and strengthened the school’s advancement operation, providing a solid foundation of philanthropic support for future growth.
Sciuto Institute for Teaching Excellence
Conrads Program for Integrated Sciences Thanks to a $10 million gift from Sherry and Bob Conrads ‘65 in 2024, SLUH initiated a leading STEM program to help students grow as makers, innovators and technological leaders for the common good. All students benefit from its resources, while Conrads Scholars pursue an integrated sequence of challenging STEM courses, co-curricular experiences and service opportunities. Pathways in engineering innovation, computer science, data science and AI, and environmental science with microelectronics invite students to see how mathematics, science and technology meet real-world questions and human needs.
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
Established through a $16 million gift in 2025, SITE supports the bedrock of the SLUH educational mission – the faculty. Its work centers on research, institutional partnerships, instructional coaching and curriculum development, educational technology, and professional development. The Institute gives SLUH a lasting resource for strengthening teaching, expanding faculty learning and advancing mission-aligned innovation in the classroom.
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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE SLUH offers a demanding collegepreparatory education that cultivates curiosity and develops the intellectual discipline essential to lifelong learning. Students pursue a rich and rigorous curriculum, from advanced coursework in the sciences and humanities to world languages, theology, fine arts and a range of electives. Throughout their studies, students examine meaningful questions and complex ideas, learning to view knowledge through the lens of moral responsibility and a global perspective. In 2023, 2024 and 2025, SLUH was named to the AP School Honor Roll, earning PLATINUM distinction. In 2025, SLUH was recognized as a Cognia School of Distinction.
ACADEMIC OUTCOMES AND COLLEGE PREPARATION
21 AP COURSES 1,227
TOTAL AP TESTS TAKEN IN 2026 PERCENT OF STUDENTS SCORING 3 OR BETTER ON AP COURSES
91
100%
COLLEGE MATRICULATION RATE
The SLUH Class of 2026 is enrolled at 87 colleges and universities across 29 states, including 13 Jesuit institutions.
84 AP SCHOLARS AP SCHOLARS WITH HONOR
75
AP SCHOLARS WITH DISTINCTION
124
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS
6
30 AVERAGE ACT SCORE
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
SLUH prepares students for a purposeful transition to higher education. College counseling, faculty mentorship and a challenging curriculum help each graduate identify a path that matches his gifts, goals and values.
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STUDENT BODY SLUH brings together young men from throughout the entire St. Louis region on both sides of the Mississippi River. Students represent gifted academic learners from a wide range of elementary and middle schools, neighborhoods, family backgrounds and lived experiences; they find a community united by shared purpose and shaped by mutual respect. The school size and breadth enable students to discover their interests, form friendships across differences and participate fully in the life of the school.
STUDENT-BODY PROFILE
977 TOTAL ENROLLMENT 148 FEEDER SCHOOLS
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ZIP CODES REPRESENTED
AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS SLUH believes that financial circumstances should not prevent a qualified young man from receiving a Jesuit education. The school practices needblind admission, meets 100% demonstrated financial need and provides the region’s largest financialassistance programs among private high schools. This commitment reflects the generosity of alumni, parents and benefactors, as well as the school’s conviction that a strong community includes students of many socio-economic backgrounds. FOR THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR, SLUH WILL AWARD
$6.1 million
IN DIRECT TUITION ASSISTANCE, WITH 46% OF STUDENTS RECEIVING SUPPORT
INCLUSION AND BELONGING
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES MISSOURI
ILLINOIS
SLUH maintains a strong, steady enrollment in an increasingly competitive and challenging marketplace. The school continues to have more applicants than spots available for each incoming class.
SLUH’s commitment to the whole person is expressed through the care available to students in and beyond the classroom. School counselors, college counselors, learning specialists, faculty mentors, campus ministers, coaches and club moderators work together to help young men navigate academic demands, personal relationships and the transitions that mark adolescence.
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
SLUH cultivates a school culture grounded in belonging, dignity and opportunity. Inspired by Pedro Arrupe’s call to become Men and Women for and with Others, students learn to cross barriers of race, gender, class and sexuality in pursuit of God’s kingdom of peace and justice. A series of affinity and alliance groups, open to all students, creates opportunities for shared conversation, fellowship and initiatives. In addition, a renewed SLUH vision for belonging and opportunity strengthens an enduring and evolving commitment central to the Jesuit mission of giving greater glory to God through service to the region, country and world.
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CO-CURRICULAR LIFE Learning at SLUH extends well beyond the school day. More than 75 clubs and co-curricular experiences invite students to pursue interests, develop leadership and form friendships around shared purpose. Academic teams, publications, performing arts, service organizations, affinity groups and student-led initiatives create room for young men to discover new capabilities and contribute to the community. Among SLUH’s enduring and distinctive programs are the Prep News, Sisyphus, Sustainability and the Dauphin Players.
ATHLETICS SLUH offers 21 interscholastic sports, along with opportunities for conditioning, recreation and school spirit. Athletics provide a setting in which students learn discipline, resilience, teamwork and humility. Many teams also share meaningful experiences through service opportunities and team retreats that strengthen relationships, deepen faith and reinforce the values of Jesuit education. Coaches and moderators help young men compete with intensity while keeping perspective: athletic participation is one dimension of a larger formation that values character, friendship and responsibility.
85%
of students participate in at least one sport each school year.
A founding member of the Metro Catholic Conference (MCC), SLUH routinely captures the MCC All-Sports Trophy, awarded to the member school with the best conference finish in all sports. The Jr. Billikens earned this award in 2025-26 for the fifth consecutive year.
Campus ministry helps students encounter the spiritual depth of a Jesuit education. The Chapel of the Beloved Disciple serves as the spiritual heart of campus, where students gather for prayer, liturgy and reflection. Through retreats, service and small-group experiences, students develop a personal relationship with God and consider how faith calls them to act in the world. These programs welcome questions and connect growth in faith with a commitment to justice and love. Formation at SLUH is not confined to a single department; it is a shared responsibility expressed through classroom conversations, coaching relationships, service experiences and the daily life of the community.
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
CAMPUS MINISTRY AND FORMATION
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ARTS The arts at SLUH celebrate the distinctive gifts, perspectives and humanity of every student. A rich selection of courses and co-curricular experiences in music, theater and the visual arts welcomes beginners while challenging accomplished artists to refine their craft. Students develop creative confidence, discipline and collaboration through studio work, ensemble performance and theatrical production. Their work reflects a tradition of excellence recognized locally, regionally and nationally — and shared on stages around the world.
GLOBAL EDUCATION The SLUH Global Education program prepares young men to serve as companions in a mission of reconciliation and justice within an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world. Grounded in our shared commitment to human dignity and the care of our common home, students engage in intercultural dialogue through language immersion, service, reciprocal exchanges, educational travel and local “glocal” learning. By encountering diverse cultures and realities beyond their immediate surroundings, students learn to see themselves as part of a universal body with a universal mission.
Opportunities range from accessible oncampus and local initiatives to international experiences across 15 different countries, ensuring every student fulfills the school’s Global Education Graduation Requirement. ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
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14,712
TOTAL LIVING ALUMNI
14,646
IN THE U.S.
66
ABROAD IN 25 COUNTRIES ALUMNI ALUMNI PER STATE PER STATE 1–9
1–9
10–49 10–49
50–99 50–99
100–299 300–999 300–999 1,000+1,000+ 100–299 (MISSOURI) (MISSOURI)
ALUMNI COMMUNITY The SLUH alumni community extends across the nation and the world. About two-thirds of the 14,712 alumni reside in the Greater St. Louis region, making SLUH a leadership resource for the region and in every major city in the U.S. Alumni lead large corporations and influential small businesses, civil service and religious organizations, and from academic institutions of higher learning to nonprofits.
Locally and nationwide, alumni mentor students by sharing their experience, expertise and guidance.
ROOTED IN THE HEART OF ST. LOUIS
The campus provides a secure and welcoming environment for study, prayer, athletics, performance, collaboration and community. Its classrooms, laboratories, library, innovation spaces, chapel, retreat facilities and athletic venues support a full educational experience.
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
The 32-acre SLUH campus shares a border with Forest Park, the largest city park in the country, in a central urban corridor that connects students to the civic, cultural, scientific and service resources of St. Louis. This unique setting supports the school’s educational vision — relationships with neighboring institutions and organizations create opportunities for learning, service, internships and engagement with the life of the city. Nearby are many leading institutions such as the Cortex Innovation Community, Saint Louis Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden and Washington University School of Medicine.
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THE PRINCIPAL The Principal serves as the primary educational leader of St. Louis University High School, working in close partnership with the President to advance the school’s Catholic, Jesuit mission through academic excellence, student formation, and exceptional teaching. The Principal provides leadership for one of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished Jesuit secondary schools by cultivating an outstanding faculty, strengthening teaching and learning,
accompanying students in their intellectual and spiritual growth, and ensuring that every aspect of school life reflects the mission of Jesuit education. More than an administrator, the Principal is a visible presence in the daily life of the school. Working collaboratively with the President, Jesuit community, Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni, the Principal helps shape a community where academic excellence, faith, and formation flourish together.
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
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LEADERSHIP PROFILE Excellence Begins with Teaching Academic leadership is the central responsibility of the Principal. The Principal understands excellent teaching and cultivates intellectual development, to be able to establish the conditions in which both students and teachers flourish. Curriculum, instruction, assessment, faculty development and thoughtful innovation — including AI and emerging technologies — are stewarded in service of the school’s mission.
An Extraordinary Faculty Is Our Greatest Strength Recruiting, developing, supporting, and retaining exceptional educators is among the Principal’s highest responsibilities. The Principal cultivates a professional culture marked by trust, collaboration, accountability, and continual growth while intentionally developing future leaders from within the faculty.
Mission and Academic Excellence Are Inseparable Every educational decision reflects the conviction that intellectual excellence, spiritual formation, and character development belong together. The Principal safeguards and advances this integrated vision of Catholic and Jesuit education.
Leadership Is Personal Leadership at SLUH is exercised through presence as much as through policy. The Principal is visible, attentive, approachable, and known for engaged listening, thoughtful communication, sound judgment, and genuine care for students, faculty, families, and colleagues.
The Principal is entrusted with preserving what is essential, strengthening what is already excellent, and discerning where change will help the school fulfill its mission more faithfully. Innovation is embraced not for novelty’s sake but in service of enduring educational excellence.
Preparing for the Future The Principal helps the school respond confidently to changing educational realities while remaining firmly rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Success is measured not by novelty but by faithfulness to mission.
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
Stewardship Before Reinvention
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THE OPPORTUNITY BEFORE US
The opportunity is not to create a different St. Louis University High School. The opportunity is to help this remarkable school become even more fully itself. That work begins in the classroom. The next Principal will strengthen a culture in which excellent teaching is prized, thoughtful innovation is encouraged, and every educator continues to grow in both competence and vocation. The next Principal will ensure that Jesuit education remains more than a collection
of outstanding programs or cherished traditions. Mission will continue to animate academic excellence, forming young men of faith, scholarship, leadership and service. As educational realities continue to evolve, the school will benefit from leadership that exercises discernment rather than pursuing novelty for its own sake — responding thoughtfully to new opportunities while remaining firmly anchored in its enduring mission. The most enduring legacy of the Principal will not be found in programs or buildings, but in people: teachers who have grown in their vocation, students whose lives have been enlarged by demanding scholarship and generous accompaniment, and graduates prepared to live lives of faith, leadership and service. Ultimately, the Principal is entrusted with the stewardship of one of the nation’s great Jesuit schools.
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
The next Principal will inherit a remarkable school: a faculty whose professionalism and dedication have earned a national reputation; students of extraordinary talent and promise; families who believe deeply in the mission of Jesuit education; alumni whose love for the school has sustained it for more than two centuries; and a Board of Trustees committed to stewarding the school’s future.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE The successful candidate will embody the characteristics that St. Louis University High School seeks to cultivate in every graduate.
Open to Growth The successful candidate cultivates a culture of continual learning, reflection, collaboration, shared accountability, and professional growth while developing leadership in others.
Intellectually Competent The successful candidate models intellectual curiosity, champions excellent teaching, encourages thoughtful innovation, and possesses the educational credibility to lead conversations about curriculum, instruction, assessment, and faculty development.
Religious The successful candidate is a practicing Catholic with a deep personal faith and a demonstrated commitment to advancing the mission of Catholic and Jesuit education. Rooted in the Ignatian tradition, the Principal ensures that faith and learning remain fully integrated throughout the life of the school.
Loving The successful candidate leads through presence, builds authentic relationships, listens attentively, communicates clearly, and fosters a community in which every student, faculty member, staff member, and family is known, respected, and valued.
Committed to Doing Justice
LEARN MORE & APPLY View the full position description and application details.
4970 Oakland Ave. | St. Louis, MO 63110 SLUH.ORG
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH PRINCIPAL PROSPECTUS
The successful candidate recognizes the dignity of every person, promotes belonging across the school community, and ensures that the school’s policies, practices, and culture reflect fairness, compassion, and the Gospel call to justice.
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