06/15/2026
Inside America’s Educational Renaissance
A recent article on in the Epoch Times describes the exodus of students from public schools and the rise of demand for classical education. The article features the explosion of schools in the Chesterton Schools Network
The Expanding Catholic Sector
The Chesterton Schools Network of classical Catholic education opened its first school in 2008. Four more were added in 2014. Today, the network has 71 schools, with another 18 planned across the United States and Canada and 12 in Europe and Africa, said Dale Ahlquist, the program’s founder.
Chesterton, unlike other classical Catholic organizations, is limited to grades nine to 12. Student bodies are made up of those who attended traditional Catholic schools through eighth grade, as well as former public school and homeschooled students. The schools have a similar approach to that of their evangelical counterparts, focusing on great literature as the vehicle for telling the human story—but require daily Mass. Annual tuition is less than $10,000.
“We’re astounded by this growth,” Ahlquist told The Epoch Times. “We had a good model, and the word got out without us doing any publicity.”
Chesterton was awarded the $1 million Yass Prize from the Center for Education Reform last year. Ahlquist said the money will be used to train more teachers.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/inside-the-explosion-in-classical-education-6024249?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=etlinkedin&gl=engage&fbclid=IwY2xjawScX-BleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF0aEFTVmZKOFNTZFZ5dHJNc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHruRfjaQyBKvCCnB6Spriwa4QwMcG88SQR1nQbuadSX3k8EZwjDQnNE9-d6C_aem_AxqlpcKewD7qELXwncPDgA
‘We’re astounded by this growth. ... The word got out without us doing any publicity,’ said a founder of an international classical school network.
