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In the early 1990s, the Detroit Board of Education proposed starting several all-male academies in an attempt to address the alarmingly high dropout rate of high school males. However, the court ruled that the state’s constitution prohibits single-sex public schools.

At that point, Cardinal Adam Maida contacted Fr. Joe Daoust, S.J., Provincial of the Detroit Province Jesuits, to discuss taking on this project. A year-long feasibility study, conducted by Fr. Ken Styles, S.J., concluded a school of this type was needed and was  achievable. In August of 1993, Loyola Academy opened its doors, with Fr. Malcolm Carron, S.J., as President.

In one sense, Loyola is a traditional Jesuit school. In the earliest years of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius opened schools only to address particular needs at particular times.  Loyola followed that very same pattern. At Loyola, as in other Jesuit schools, prayer, theology courses, and service opportunities form an essential part of the school’s fabric.

In another sense, though, Loyola is non-traditional. In admitting students, the school gives priority to young men who are not working to their academic and social potential; some are in danger of dropping out of school entirely. Through a curriculum that emphasizes the basics of reading, writing, math, and computer skills, and with a supportive, structured environment, the school fosters a culture of hope and achievement and strives to form “men for others.”