Incarnate Word Academy (Bel-Nor, Missouri)

Incarnate Word Academy is a Roman Catholic, private, secondary school for girls. The school is sponsored by the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. The school is located in Bel-Nor, a suburb of St. Louis, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

Incarnate Word Academy
Address
2788 Normandy Drive Bel-Nor , (St. Louis County) , Missouri 63121 United States
Coordinates	38.6996°N 90.3123°W / 38.6996; -90.3123
Information
Type	Private, All-Female secondary school
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic (Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word)
Established	1932
President	Sharon L. Gerken '78
Principal	Lauren Cardwell Keeven '02
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	256 (2022)
Average class size	17
Student to teacher ratio	12:1
Color(s)	Red and Gold
Slogan	Inspired Girls. Empowered Women.[citation needed]
Athletics conference	Metro Women's Athletics Association
Team name	Red Knights
Accreditation	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
Publication	The WORD Magazine
Tuition	$17,495 (2025-26)
Website	www.iwacademy.org

History

In 1932, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word opened the all-girls high school in response to a need for the education of young women. In the first year, the school enrolled thirty-five students. Three additional buildings and seventy-five years later, the school is now home to about five hundred students.^[2]

Athletics

Cheerleading, soccer, volleyball, and basketball are sports in which the school has won state championships.^{[citation needed]} The school also offers a variety of sports including softball, tennis, golf, cross country, track, dance, swimming, and lacrosse. The Red Knights' most recent state championship title was at the 2024 Missouri State High School Basketball Championship game against Springfield Kickapoo on March 16, 2024, in Columbia, Missouri. They won with a score of 53-43 bringing the school their seventh state championship title in a decade. IWA basketball also holds the longest game winning streak in the history of Missouri with 131 wins.

Notable alumni

• Shandi Finnessey (1996), Miss USA winner^[3]
• Napheesa Collier (2015), WNBA All-Star forward^[4]