The story of our school is truly unique. While we have been known as the Academy of St. Benedict the African Laflin Campus since 1989, our roots actually run much deeper than that. One stone on our lot is marked 1901, when a small school was first built on the site; however, the school’s building and identity have grown and changed since then. Today, we at Laflin continue to survive, and thrive, as an independent school that loves our students and leads them to be successful in academics and in life. Our patron saint, St. Benedict the African, was a former slave who devoted himself to a Franciscan order and became known for his holiness, wisdom, patience, generosity, and humility – virtues that we instill in our students today. As the only remaining Catholic school in West Englewood, we remain firmly committed to our mission here. Our spirit has been a force of stability in this community for decades past, and for decades to come.