| Juan Diego Catholic High School | |
| Established: | 1999 |
| Status: | Currently operational |
| Locale: | Large suburb / 21 |
| Type: | Regular elementary or secondary |
| Faculty: | 48.4 (FTE) |
| Secondary Years Taught: | 9th through 12th |
| Ceeb: | 450064 |
| Us Nces School Id: | A0109539 |
| Principal: | Dr. Galey Colosimo |
| Streetaddress: | 300 East 11800 South |
| County: | Salt Lake |
| Zipcode: | 84020 |
| Country: | USA |
| Coordinates: | 40.5347°N -111.8819°W |
| Accreditation: | Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) |
| Ratio: | 15.8 |
| Hours In Day: | 7 |
| Mascot: | Soaring Eagle |
| Yearbook: | The Tilma |
| Newspaper: | The Speaking Eagle |
| Tuition: | $8,440/year (Catholic) $10,296/year (non-Catholic) |
| Enrollment: | 763 |
| Enrollment As Of: | 2017 |
| Grade9: | 181 |
| Grade10: | 185 |
| Grade11: | 210 |
| Grade12: | 187 |
| Motto: | "Spiritus Donorum" |
| Motto Translation: | The Spirit of Giving |
Juan Diego Catholic High School (JDCHS) is a private, Catholic high school located in the Salt Lake City suburb of Draper, Utah, operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City.
American Stores's Chief Executive Officer Leonard Samuel Skaggs made an initial donation of $42 million to the Diocese of Salt Lake City for the purpose of providing primary and secondary education. At the time, Skaggs' donation it was the largest donation for a Catholic education campus in the United States.[1]
A 57acres site was selected in southern Salt Lake City and started developing for the Skaggs Catholic Center where Juan Diego Catholic resides. The property was selected due to its proximity to the St. John the Baptist Parish. All of the schools which makeup the Skaggs Catholic Center would open for the 1999–2000 school year.[2] [3]
During the 2019–20 school year, Secretary Betsy DeVos of the United States Department of Education awarded Juan Diego Catholic with the Blue Ribbon Award.
Juan Diego Catholic is a Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) member school offering boys and girls sports complying with Title IX. Student athletes can participate in varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen only teams under the UHSAA's 3A Classification. JDCHS Athletics consisting of the following sports:[4]
Starting during the 2017–18 school year JDCHS won the Best of State Award which is a collective academic and athletic honors for 3 consecutive years.[5]
| Coach | Seasons | W | L | T | Pct. | State Title | Runners-up | Region Title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Colosimo | 1999-2020 | 176 | 42 | 0 | .777 | 7 | 13 | USA Today’s 2013 Best High School Coach Award for Utah | ||
| Greg Williams | 2021- | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Incoming head coach | |
| Total | 22 | 176 | 42 | 0 | .777 | 7 | 13 |
In 2018, JDCHS and Colosimo hired the embattled coach Steve Belles of Arizona's powerhouse Hamilton High School program after a multi-year investigation into pervasive hazing.[8] Investigators recommended child abuse charges but Attorney General Bill Montgomery never formalized the charges. At JDCHS, he would assume the position coach duties for the quarterback and defensive back.[9]
In 2020, the JD Choir directed by John VanWagoner won 1st place in the Madrigal Small Group category at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Anthony Tibolla, a student of Theatre Director Joe Crnich, won 1st place in the Cambridge Division Monologue category. The JD Strings Orchestra, directed by Denisse Vallecillos, won 3rd place in the Minstrel Large Group category. The 2020 High School Shakespeare Competition consisted of 83 schools, 2300 students, and 579 video entries from around the region, not just Utah.[10]
The team defeated rival Hurricane High School from 2008 to 2010 at Rice-Eccles Stadium and Delta at Cedar City in 2016.[11]
JDCHS occupies a section on a multicampus grouping called the Skaggs Catholic Center with Saint John the Baptist Middle School, Saint John the Baptist Elementary School, and the Guardian Angel Day Care taking the remainder of the instructional space. The remaining land, from the initial 57acres purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, also contains St. John the Baptist Parish.[12]