Kolbe-Trinity School has a rich history rooted in the desire to provide a classical, Catholic education to the Napa Valley and its surrounding communities. Our school was established as Kolbe Academy in 1980 by three lay Catholic families in Napa, California, who sought an alternative to the progressive public schools and the parochial Catholic system. The founders, Fran and Marge Crotty, Jerry and Dianne Muth, and Vince and Lucille Cortese, aimed to create a formalized day school that emphasized a classical education model as the best means to impart the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Catholic faith. Thanks to the generosity of the Rodgers family, Kolbe Academy acquired its first school building on Coombs Street in downtown Napa in 1980, eventually moving to F Street in 1982. In the early 1990's, Kolbe Academy expanded its offerings by creating a homeschooling program, which would respond to increasing demands for its curriculum from families across the country. This program provided a structured curriculum and support for homeschooling parents, becoming a significant part of Kolbe Academy's operations. Trinity Grammar and Prep was founded in 1995 by Jack Kersting, Tony Ryan, and others as a classical Catholic school on Redwood Road in Napa. In 2008, Kolbe Academy and Trinity Grammar and Prep merged, forming Kolbe Academy & Trinity Prep on the Redwood Road campus. This merger allowed the school to consolidate resources and offer a comprehensive education from transitional kindergarten through twelfth grade. After the merger, Kolbe Academy's homeschool program continued to expand its reach and services, now serving a worldwide audience with traditional and online homeschool offerings. The day school and homeschool continue to operate separately, but we maintain our partnership in providing a quality classical education to all.
In 2014, Kolbe-Trinity School was officially welcomed into the Diocese of Santa Rosa by HIs Excellency, Bishop Robert Vasa, in a manner that ensured Kolbe-Trinity's ongoing loyalty to the Magisterium of the Church while preserving its dynamic classical education. The school embraces a socially diverse demographic in both the students and staff, answering the call of the Church to bring the beauty and truth of the Gospel to all peoples and races, regardless of prior faith background or economic standing. The combined institution has maintained its commitment to providing a classical education grounded in the Catholic faith, focusing on developing students' spiritual, intellectual, and moral virtues. Kolbe-Trinity is fully accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and is currently in the process of renewing its accreditation with NAPCIS (The National Association of Private Catholic Independent Schools).