St. Teresa’s Academy

Mission statement

The St. Teresa's Academy building, decorated with a white lace motif and topped with a cross, on a sunny day.

St. Teresa’s Academy educates young women to think critically, encourages them through Catholic values to love the dear neighbor without distinction, and empowers them to change the world.

Visit St. Teresa’s Academy website

A brief history

St. Teresa’s Academy is the oldest school, women’s organization, and Catholic institution in Kansas City. The school was founded and is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) who, since their founding in 17th century France, have been at the forefront of education and preparing young women for the future.

Established in 1866 at 12th and Washington Streets in Kansas City’s Quality Hill district, the Academy rapidly grew in enrollment and prestige. By 1909, the sisters relocated the school to a 20-acre site at 5600 Main – our current location. They dubbed the campus “Windmoor” due to the constant wind blowing across the open prairie. On the cornerstone of the first of what would become four elegant campus buildings, the sisters inscribed the words of St. Teresa of Avila and the motto of the Academy, “Deo Adjuvante Non Timendum,” which means “With the help of God, we need not fear.”

In 1941, the sisters added a second building, Donnelly Hall, which housed the city’s first and only college for women (the college moved to the south part of Kansas City in 1963 and became Avila University). In 1982, construction on Goppert Center was completed, which houses the gymnasium. In addition, an eight-lane track and synthetic turf field were added on the north end of campus. Campus construction continued in 2011 with the addition of Windmoor Center, which houses the beautiful Chapel of St. Joseph and four state-of-the-art, high-tech classrooms.

During the 2018-2019 school year, Goppert Center underwent an $11 million, 25,000-square-foot expansion, demonstrating STA’s longstanding commitment to maintaining its prominent position in secondary education. This included state-of-the-art educational spaces and tools such as the Fahey Learning Center, the Makerspace/Engineering Lab, modern workout facilities and other amenities.

For more than 150 years, STA has been faithful to the overriding vision and values of the CSJ, making it unique among local, private educational institutions.