Out of 1,240 Catholic schools across the United States ranked by Niche, a third-party platform that provides reviews and rankings for K-12 schools and colleges in the United States, three Regnum Christi schools stood out: The Highlands School in Irving, Texas ranked #28, Pinecrest Academy in Cumming, Georgia ranked #47, and Everest Collegiate High School & Academy in Clarkston, Michigan ranked #239. Further north in Canada, Clear Water Academy in Calgary, Alberta was ranked #1 out of 780 schools in the province by Fraser Institute. Pinecrest Academy was also named the #2 Catholic High School in Georgia.
The Highlands School, which ranked in the top 2% of Catholic high schools in the United States, is a co-ed private Catholic school serving approximately 400 students in Pre-K to 12th grade. Seeking to excel in both academic and personal development, The Highlands School places a heavy emphasis on an integral formation model which focuses on the intellectual, spiritual, character, and apostolic development of each student.
Two dynamic members of the leadership team at The Highlands School are Executive Director, Veronica Moreno, and Director of Advancement, Veronica Villarreal, who spoke on what makes The Highlands School and other RC schools unique.
The Highlands School has been climbing its way up the Niche rankings, and it’s clear from the latest ratings that the school is making a name for itself for both its commitment to excellence and its community atmosphere. What would you say sets The Highlands and other RC school apart from similar schools?
Moreno: You can tell by our rankings now, and as we continue to climb the rankings year after year, that it is possible to deliver both great formation and a great education, and if you’re going to send Catholic and Christian leaders out into the world, they need to be both well-formed and well-educated. We’re very proud of the rankings, but what it’s really about is the integral formation that we provide in our school – it’s interwoven into the curriculum, into everything that we do.
Villarreal: I’ve been a parent here for 10 years now – I’ve had two students graduate and have two currently at the school, so it’s interesting to have these two different perspectives, of first having been a parent, and now being part of the leadership team. So, I’ve seen it all. And having been able to experience the school as a family, one of the first things that comes to mind is the fact that the school actually does embrace the entire family, not just the student. Here, you grow in your faith as a family. Plus, we’re blessed to have such an incredible formation team, and incredible leadership, particularly with the Legionary priests and Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, who are here with us every step of the way. We are their vocation, we are their mission. So seeing them on a day-to-day basis, having them 100% available to our kids and our parents is something very unique.
Personal relationship is another important part of the Regnum Christi charism: personal relationship with Christ, and with each other. How do you see this aspect of the RC charism lived out at The Highlands?
Moreno: What I love about the school is the personal attention each student receives. Education here is a partnership with the school, the parents, and the students – we all work together to help get the students to where they’re supposed to be. We really do operate as a family and take care of each other, students supporting students, and families supporting families. It’s that sense of community that the Regnum Christi charism itself helps to foster that is a very important part of the school’s landscape.
Villarreal: And when you have so many teachers that understand that charism, it makes a difference. Our teachers are here for a mission, are team is here for a mission. They’re here not just for a paycheck – they’re here because they authentically believe this school will bring the kids closer to Christ. As Veronica always says, “Jesus walks through these halls.”
Moreno: Yes, I truly believe that Christ walks the halls here. In the students that we talk to, in the faculty and staff, in the parent community, in the administration, Christ is here. And I think that’s a really important part of The Highlands. We live our faith, we are proudly and authentically Catholic, we don’t water down the message, and our teachers are mission-oriented.
What does this top ranking from Niche mean to the school?
Moreno: For us to be a small school of just under 400 students and to rank so highly speaks volumes of our teachers, and our curriculum. One thing that is unique about the school is that we share part of our land with the University of Dallas, and some professors and department chairs teach at the high school, so that elevates our academics at the same time.
Villarreal: The Highlands has always been known for having amazing formation, but we weren’t always able to showcase those academics in a strategic way. It has been such an incredible experience to witness, both as a parent and as part of the team, this new era at The Highlands, where we’re moving forward with strength and clarity of who we are and where we want to go to.
Moreno: It is just incredibly meaningful to us, and we’re so grateful to God, but we’re not done! I have seen the school transform families, my own included. We’re also the RC school that has the most vocations! Since our founding in 1986, we have had 13 or 14 vocations, and in the class of 2022, we had three – one is in Cheshire becoming a Legionary! We really want to have an impact in the world, and we can only do that through the leaders of tomorrow. So that’s our mission, and we’re very blessed and to have great rankings and to keep advancing.
Besides being ranked #28 out of all Catholic schools across the United States, and in the top 2% of Catholic schools and in the top 6% of private K-12 schools
nationwide, the Highlands School also received the rankings of #6 best Catholic high school in Texas, #1 best Catholic high school for girls in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, #1 Catholic co-ed preK-12 school in Texas, and #1 co-ed Catholic high school and middle school in Dallas-Fort Worth. To see the full list of the 2025 Best Schools rankings, visit niche.com.
Regnum Christi has 154 schools in 19 countries around the world, including one university and eight schools in Canada and the United States. The mission of the Regnum Christi school is the formation of Christian leaders who will transform society. A Regnum Christi school is a Christ-centered educational community of excellence, focused on the integral formation of its students, offering an experience of joy that comes from encountering Christ and becoming apostles eager to exercise their Christian leadership with a spirit of mission, helping the Church build Christ’s Kingdom, impact culture and transform society.
To find out more about The Highlands School, visit their website at thehighlandsschool.org, or get more information about the Regnum Christi schools in the North American territory, including the Philippines, here.
