Barat Academy


Barat Academy is an independent, religious college preparatory school, in Chesterfield, Missouri for grades 6-12. It is in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis, but is the first co-educational completely independent Catholic high school in the state of Missouri. Barat Academy's mascot is an eagle and its colors are red and white.

Background

Barat Academy opened to a class of freshmen in 2007, added tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades over the following three years, and graduated its first class in May 2011. It is founded in the traditions of the Sacred Heart. The school was named after Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart.
Barat Academy was first located in O'Fallon, Missouri, but relocated to Chesterfield, Missouri in 2011 after being evicted from its previous space. Moving to a neighboring county caused a steep drop in enrollment contributed to the school's financial issues.

Financial problems

Barat Academy has seen several lawsuits due to its failure to pay its rent, staff, and creditors. The school was evicted from its first location in O'Fallon, Missouri due to failure to pay rent in 2011. An agreement to pay $216,000 in back rent and interest was made. A technology company sued for more than $17,000, also in 2011, as did Meier Jost and Associates, a fundraising company, for $56,000.
In 2015, teachers sued the school for more than $400,000 for missed paychecks and claimed that Barat failed to follow minimum wage law.
In 2017, the school was sued for receivership by Ronald Mitchell, who loaned the school $300,000 in 2011, was awarded damages of $312,000 after only receiving irregular interest payments.

Athletics