Saint Joseph Academy (Brownsville, Texas)

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Saint Joseph Academy, also called St. Joe or SJA, is a private Catholic school in Brownsville, Texas. It is run by the Marist Brothers and serves students in seventh through twelfth grade. The campus is at 101 St. Joseph Drive and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville. The school’s motto is “Ad Astra Per Aspera” (To the Stars through Difficulties), and classes are taught in English.

History and people
The school began in 1865, founded by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in downtown Brownsville. After several closures and reopenings, the Marist Brothers reopened St. Joseph Academy in 1906. In 1959 the school moved to its current campus on the wooded banks of a resaca. It was all-male at first and became coeducational in 1970. The school joined the TAPPS athletics league in 1998.

Campus and academics
SJA has about 430 students (2022–2023) with roughly 24 students per class and a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. The campus features several classroom buildings around a garden, plus a notable gym. The school is accredited by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department (TCCBED). School colors are red and white, and the mascot is Brutus the Bloodhound; teams are known as the Bloodhounds. Publications include PAW (literary magazine) and Hound Collar (newspaper). The Athletic Director is Tino Villareal.

Mission and activities
Saint Joseph Academy provides religious and moral formation alongside college-preparatory education. The school requires community service each year and runs mission trips. Students travel to rural communities and sometimes to Tamaulipas, Mexico, or to a Native American reservation near Gallup, New Mexico.

Sports and programs
In high school, students can participate in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, dance, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field. In junior high (seventh and eighth grades), offerings include basketball, football, cross country, track and field, and volleyball. The school serves students from the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan area.