Xavier College Preparatory Announces Xavier 8th Grade Academy for 2026-2027
In response to the unexpected closure of Palm Valley School, Xavier College Preparatory will establish the Xavier 8th Grade Academy for the 2026-2027 academic year.
This one-year, and one year only, initiative reflects Xavier's Jesuit commitment to accompany young people and families during a time of uncertainty while providing continuity, stability, and an exceptional educational experience for a small cohort of eighth-grade students whose school unexpectedly closed.
Why Xavier Is Responding
Schools are far more than buildings. They are communities, traditions, relationships, and places where young people grow, belong, and discover who they are.
Following the announcement of Palm Valley School's closure, a group of eighth-grade families approached Xavier with a specific request: to allow their children to remain together as a cohort and complete their final year of middle school alongside the classmates and families who have been such an important part of their lives.
After extensive prayer, discernment, and consultation with educational partners throughout the Coachella Valley, the Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of San Bernardino, and leadership within Jesuits West, Xavier made the decision to respond.
As a Catholic, Jesuit school, our mission calls us to recognize the dignity and worth of every person and to respond with compassion when our neighbors are in need. We believe our mission calls us not simply to teach, but to accompany. Faced with the sudden loss of their school community during a pivotal year in their educational journey, these students needed a place where they could continue to learn, grow, and most importantly, remain together.
What the Academy Is
The Xavier 8th Grade Academy is a one-year initiative created specifically to serve this unique circumstance.
The Academy will serve a small cohort of former Palm Valley School students in a dedicated middle school environment supported by Xavier's experienced faculty and staff. Students will have their own classrooms, age-appropriate programming, and a distinct educational experience designed specifically for eighth-grade learners. While Academy students will have access to select campus resources and opportunities, they will remain a separate academic cohort and will not enroll in classes with Xavier high school students.
Our goal is simple: to provide these students with a year in which they are known, supported, challenged, and encouraged as they prepare for high school and beyond.
What the Academy Is Not
The Xavier 8th Grade Academy is not the beginning of a permanent middle school and does not represent a change in Xavier's long-term mission or educational model.
This initiative is intended exclusively for a small group of former Palm Valley School students and families and is designed specifically to address this extraordinary circumstance. There are no plans to expand beyond this one-year effort.
Likewise, the Academy will operate within Xavier's existing structures and resources, ensuring that the programs, opportunities, traditions, and student experience that define Xavier remain as strong as ever.
Living Our Mission
Jesuit education has always called us to be people for and with others. Welcoming these students and families into the Xavier community provides us with an opportunity to live that mission in a tangible way while offering stability and belonging during a time of unexpected change.
We are grateful for the trust the Palm Valley families have placed in Xavier and for the generosity of spirit that continues to characterize our school community. Together, we look forward to accompanying the young students during this important year and demonstrating what Jesuit education looks like when faith, compassion, and action come together.
Our hope is that every student who enters Xavier—whether for one year or four—leaves knowing what we strive to impart to all who walk our halls: that they are seen, they are heard, they are valued, and they are loved.
Thank you for your continued support of our work and mission, as we extend the spirit of our Xavier community.