St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly

Posted: April 16, 2025

I went here from 2012-2016 and I know a lot has changed since the move. I will comment on my time there.

The academics are pretty good. The teachers are mostly knowledgeable and know what theyre doing. The school spirit, culture and attitude is there. However, there were some clear faults and cracks in the foundation. I get that being gay is against the Catholic faith, but to completely turn a blind eye to LGBTQ bullying is crazy. Those students really had the administration against them alongside the bullies. How can you talk about compassion and condone that? Also, it was kind of the Wild West. A lot of students got away with things they should have been punished for due to their parents wealthy status. Ive heard its only gotten worse over time. My class had laptops introduced into our classes and oh boy was that a massive mistake. Nobody paid attention the second we got those. Sitting in the back of the class, all you could see is people playing Tetris, Pokémon, Mario kart etc. and even if you wanted to pay attention (you were too busy playing dark souls) you couldnt because you were getting DMd by your friends every 15 seconds. They were 10000% not ready for it and no matter how much their joke of a tech department tried to stop it, we always found a loophole. That really had a detrimental effect on learning. We ran hog wild for 3 years and got away with it. Unless things have improved in these regards, and I have heard theyve gotten worse after moving, I would not recommend this school.

Posted: April 16, 2025

Posted: February 5, 2025

Wonderful school with multiple opportunities for students growth. Academic rigor and focus on service to others. Excellent Catholic High school.

Posted: February 5, 2025

Posted: August 23, 2024

If youre interested in sending your child to a Catholic school for a more wholesome experience and to be surrounded by thoughtful, caring students.head somewhere else. PVI is no longer a school rooted in Catholic faith or traditions. Since the move to Loudoun County it caters to very wealthy families with extremely entitled, spoiled children. Half of the students support abortion & claim to be atheists, kids get bullied for not having the finer things in life, kids get harassed by other students in the bathrooms, and the teachers/staff leave the school faster than you can keep track. Its also a very frequent party school with alcohol (and often cops showing up) at parties at students houses. Long time teachers and administration have left in the past few years since the new Head of School took over. She has no care whatsoever for the long-time traditions of PVI. Teachers are supposed to tolerate bratty, disrespectful students and if they dont, they get fired.
One of my students had a teacher out for several months with no explanation to us parents whatsoever. They have no substitutes so if a teacher is out, they have a proctor who basically babysits the kids. The class was nothing but a self-learning study hall for months with no information given to parents. They hire parents as teachers, not requiring any educational background or experience whatsoever. Save your $19k for college funds and send your student to a public school.

Posted: August 23, 2024

Posted: January 17, 2024

This school has turned into a hot mess. 42 teachers have left over the past year, with several of them leaving mid-year. This year, my child has lost two teachers mid-year. I know parents whose kids have lost four teachers mid-year. Classes, including AP classes, are being taught by people with little or even no teaching experience. Parents are being recruited to teach. They've hired several new deans to try to support people who aren't teachers who are teaching. In the midst of all of this, parents' concerns are ignored and the Head of School assures everyone that all is well.

Posted: January 17, 2024

Posted: May 17, 2023

This is a special place - a lot of schools talk about a sense of community, but PVIs faculty, staff and students truly Live Jesus. Academically rigorous, with supportive faculty who want to see the students succeed (e.g. early morning and after school office hours) & also take time to engage with students and families at school events.

Our family had a very positive experience continuing our daughters IEP/SAP from middle school to all four years at PVI, without having to jump through too many hoops to keep accommodations in place from year to year.

PVI is not just a sports school - there are plenty of opportunities for students to explore interests & gain leadership experience via extracurricular clubs and activities.

Retreats for all grade levels, an on-site chaplain for daily Mass & confession, and a campus ministry office that promotes student service to others throughout the year puts the faith into action.

The new campus is beautiful, well maintained and welcoming. Strong alumni presence (many alum now work at PVI!) & great social events for new, current and alumni families. Students are well prepared academically for college, but are also prepared to defend the challenges to their faith & morals when they graduate.

School communications (a once-weekly email) is just enough information for parents. Grades, assignments, calendar/schedules & resources are easy to access online. If I needed to reach out to someone at the school I would not hesitate to do so. I feel that the administration is approachable and interested in hearing from parents, students, etc. whether it be a question, concern or complaint.

PVI has been a blessing and a treasure for us!

Posted: May 17, 2023

This school is welcoming to all. I have had 3 children go through this school, all very different from each other, yet they all found the right "fit" in the school. One of the things that always amazes me about this school is the number of alums who come back to PVI to work, and those that send their kids through PVI for their education. That says a lot about the school and how comfortable this "home away from home" is.
The school does an excellent job of preparing the students to succeed in college and in life. Students learn to self-advocate, and through that the parents learn to let that happen! While the expense of the school can be daunting, it is a sacrifice we are willing to make to benefit from all that PVI has to offer.

Posted: May 17, 2023

What a wonderful and welcoming atmosphere PVI has. My daughters are two different types of learners, and the teachers really get to know them and build on their strengths. Whenever we have had an issue, the teachers and administration have been open to meet and discuss. Our family loves that the Catholic faith is at the forefront. It helps instill positive and meaningful discussions and gives the students something to be held accountable to. It is wonderful how the teachers and administration attend all sports and activities on campus. The amount of events that parents are invited to is a wonderful way for us to get to know other students and the faculty and staff. The variety of activities and clubs the students can participate in is amazing. We are grateful for PVI.

Posted: May 17, 2023

Posted: April 26, 2023

If you are a parent and want NO input into your child's education, this is the school for you! The school does whatever it wants and the parents are supposed to be perfect little sheep and just accept it.
Under the new leadership, teachers who have been there for years are resigning. There has been NO acknowledgement of problems at the school by the leadership. Attempts by parents to get the school to have discussions about issues at the school are not only ignored, they are actively denied.
There was a student walkout when the Bishop visited and even this was not discussed with parents.
Again, you want to spend $20,000 and be left in the dark, choose PVI!

Posted: April 26, 2023

Posted: November 28, 2022

PVI has been a great for my four children! They have all thrived at the school. Great faith-based school!

Posted: November 28, 2022

Posted: August 24, 2022

The faculty, curriculum, facility and athletics are outstanding.

Posted: August 24, 2022

Posted: March 23, 2020

Really 4 ½ -- I would deduct a half a star for the somewhat archaic form-based processes that are long overdue for automation, but other than that I cannot say enough great things about this school. Teachers, administration, parent community, student body, athletic coaches, and extra-curricular options are all stellar. While they are a Catholic school, their faith-based education curriculum is rooted more firmly in ethical, moral behavior extending way beyond Bible-passage memorization, and the teachers do not shy away from tough conversations to facilitate critical thinking among the students. Coursework and testing are appropriately challenging, and I feel my one child who is a junior at PVI is far better prepared academically for SATs and college than my child who attended public high school. At least one of the reasons for this is that the grades are not watered down as they are in other NoVA public school. When the campus moves to Loudoun, I do hope the school continues to perform in the same manner and does not succumb to pressure from Loudoun parents to lower the bar just so that their kids GPA can consistently hover above 4.0. Keep doing what youre doing!

Posted: March 23, 2020