Dawson Sheen Academy Plans New Shenandoah Valley High School for 2027

A new private high school planned for the Shenandoah Valley is preparing for a 2027 opening with an educational model that combines classical academics, Catholic Christian principles, and hands-on preparation for careers in business, technology, and the skilled trades.

Dawson Sheen Academy plans to serve boys and girls in grades nine through 12, beginning with ninth grade and adding a grade each year. Before the full school opens, organizers plan to offer a series of classes and programs during the 2026-27 school year to introduce families to the academy and its approach.

In a recent interview, Dawson Sheen Academy Headmaster and co-founder Dr. Charles Presberg, along with co-founder Celeste Borel, shared their plans for the school. Presberg said the academy aims to give every student a strong foundation in the humanities while recognizing that students may choose different paths after graduation.

The academy describes its approach as “classical and professional education.”

Presberg said that approach is meant to give students heading directly into the workforce practical experience while preserving the broad education usually associated with a college-preparatory school.

Borel said she sees a particular need for skilled-trades education after 45 years of working in business in the Shenandoah Valley.

She pointed to aging plumbers, electricians, and other skilled workers, and to the difficulty businesses can face in finding replacements. HVAC, refrigeration, masonry, and construction are among the fields where she sees opportunities for young people.

The school’s planned curriculum reflects that mix.

Freshmen would take biology, algebra and geometry, Spanish, writing and poetry, physical education, history and religion. Sophomore studies would include chemistry, geometry and trigonometry, Spanish, writing, public speaking, history and religion.

In their junior and senior years, students in the Business and Technology and Trades and Professions tracks would begin internships while continuing core humanities courses. Possible electives listed by the academy include entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, programming, accounting, business law, and additional languages.

The Arts and Science track is intended primarily for students planning to pursue college degrees.

The school will operate under a co-institutional model. Boys and girls will attend the same school but receive instruction separately and participate in separate athletic programs. Faculty and staff will include both men and women.

Presberg said plans call for separate buildings for male and female students on the same campus, while allowing students to come together for appropriate social and school activities.

Although grounded in Catholic Christian teaching, the academy will welcome students from other faith traditions.

Its mission states that Dawson Sheen Academy seeks to nurture the “body, mind, soul, and spirit” while developing students intellectually, physically, morally, and spiritually.

The school takes its name from English historian Christopher Dawson and Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen. Its motto is “Fides et Excellentia,” Latin for “Faith and Excellence.”

Presberg said the academy is not currently a diocesan school. During the interview, he said organizers are in communication with the Catholic Diocese of Arlington and hope eventually to receive diocesan approval.

He also said the academy plans to pursue accreditation through Virginia Independent Schools Accreditation after opening. Organizers are currently working on the school’s facilities, land, and zoning as they prepare for the planned 2027 launch.

Before then, families will have an opportunity to preview the program.

Organizers plan introductory classes at St. Bridget of Ireland Catholic Church in Berryville, including SAT and ACT preparation, as well as introductory courses in Spanish, history, and religion. Other planned offerings discussed during the interview include artificial intelligence, computer education, hospitality, and wealth management.

The introductory offerings are intended, in part, to help families become familiar with the people and ideas behind the academy before the high school begins enrolling its first class.

Presberg brings decades of teaching and university experience to the project. He said he holds a doctorate from Harvard University and spent nearly 30 years at the University of Missouri, including time as a tenured professor. Since moving to the area, he has taught at Sacred Heart Academy, the Cottage School and Christendom College.

He said the faculty being assembled for Dawson Sheen Academy includes experienced educators, with at least master’s-level credentials planned across subjects.

For Borel, the school is also intended to fill what she sees as a geographic gap for families seeking this type of secondary education.

She said organizers hope to draw students from Front Royal and Warren County as well as Clarke County, western Loudoun County, Stephens City and nearby West Virginia communities.

“We want to make this something for the future of the kids,” Borel said during the interview.

Presberg said organizers want the school to remain focused on education, faith, and student development rather than partisan politics.

“It’s really Catholic faith and morals that inspire us, and what can you do to make your life flourish in a material and spiritual sense,” he said. “So that’s what we’re aiming to do for the kids.”

The academy’s published mission similarly emphasizes commitment to God, family, and community, with students encouraged to serve others while developing the knowledge and practical abilities they will need as adults.

For some graduates, that could mean heading directly to a four-year college. For others, organizers envision leaving high school with workplace experience and a clearer path into business, technology, or a skilled profession.

Dawson Sheen Academy is scheduled to begin with ninth grade in 2027 and expand one grade at a time.

Additional information about the school, its curriculum, and future enrollment is available at dawsonsheenacademy.org. The academy can also be reached at admin@dawsonsheenacademy.org or 573-881-2739.

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