School History

In 2004, a group of Christian businessmen purchased the shuttered St. Callistus School and parish from the Archdiocese of Chicago. The parish included school facilities in addition to a chapel, gym, rectory, and convent. With the assistance of hundreds of volunteers, future students, and eventually private contractors, Chicago Hope Academy began a full year of renovation. Highlights included hosting 200 volunteers from Aurora Christian High School who spent their spring break living on our gym floor by night and executing the demolition plan and chapel stage reconstruction by day.

August 29, 2005 after a memorable grand opening ceremony, Chicago Hope Academy welcomed its first freshman and sophomore classes. It soon became clear in 2006 that future enrollments would necessitate additional classrooms and athletic facilities. Construction began on a new wing and continued through the summer.

In fall 2007, there were five additional classrooms in addition to a reception area for the chapel and a state of the art weight room and cardio room. Hope Field at Altgeld Park was finished in 2013 and has a beautiful artificial turf surface. The Hope track was completed in 2019. Chicago Hope Academy continues to expand in the Near West Side community