Covington Latin School Announces Renatus, Dual Credit Pathway

In Partnership with Thomas More University, Renatus Will Provide CLS Students A Pathway To 60 Dual Credit Hours At No Additional Cost To Families

On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Covington Latin School (CLS) announced the launch of Renatus, which will go into effect for the 2027-2028 school year.

Renatus, Latin for “rebirth,” will feature four Core Curriculum Days, one Causa Essendi Day, and an overall pathway to 60 dual credit hours at no additional cost to families.

“For more than a century, Covington Latin School has been a leader in forming gifted students through an accelerated Catholic classical education that challenges the mind, strengthens character, and calls students to use their gifts with purpose,” said Head of School Randy Dennis. “To be clear, we are not abandoning the traditions that have defined Covington Latin School, rather we are renewing them for a new generation. Renatus builds upon the school’s Catholic mission, and our commitment to gifted students while preparing them for tremendous college success.”

The new curriculum centers on a change to the curricular week. Of the five-day school week, four days will be dedicated as Core Curriculum Days. These Core Curriculum Days preserve the rigor and depth of the CLS classical tradition while providing our faculty with a set schedule of uninterrupted curriculum-focused days. By restructuring the five-day school week, CLS can condense and accelerate the rigorous curriculum that is already taking place into just four days while still meeting all required benchmarks.

The second change to the curricular week is the addition of the Causa Essendi Day, or Essendi Day for short. Latin for “reason for being,” Essendi Days will extend student formation through college-level coursework, spiritual formation, service, leadership development, experiential learning, and gifted-specific programming. Its ultimate purpose is to help students understand their responsibility to use their exceptional gifts for the good of others and to prepare them for their next educational endeavors.

“The mixture of the Core Curriculum Days and the Essendi Days allows us to preserve the elements of Covington Latin School that always made it stand out,” added Dennis. “Furthermore, this will allow us to add new opportunities that will do so much more to prepare our students to change the world with their gifts.”  

Finally, Renatus provides an opportunity for gifted and high-ability students to earn 60 hours of college credit before graduation. This means students will have the opportunity to graduate with two years of earned college credit. Through an agreement with Thomas More University, these hours will come at no additional cost to CLS families.

“Covington Latin School is an important part of the Catholic educational system in the tri-state region,” said Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D., President of Thomas More University. “We look forward to working alongside the faculty of Covington Latin School to provide the high-quality instruction both institutions are known for, while further preparing these bright students for their next educational steps.” 

This marks another important milestone in the affiliation of Covington Latin School and Thomas More University. In the first year of the affiliation, CLS has seen growth in many areas including fundraising, enrollment, campus culture, and overall classroom practices.

“When we became affiliated with CLS, I challenged the leadership to think critically about the future of education for the gifted and high-ability students that they serve,” added Chillo. “I commend Covington Latin School on creating the Renatus program. This is a model that I know will become a blueprint nationally for other like-minded schools.”

To learn more about Renatus, please click here.

About Covington Latin School:  Founded in 1923, Covington Latin School (CLS) is the premier educational institution for gifted and talented students in the region. Located in Covington, Kentucky, CLS serves gifted students in grades 7–12 and provides them with an academically challenging curriculum designed to nurture intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills. With a 100% college placement rate and a strong emphasis on service and spiritual growth, Covington Latin has been consistently ranked the Top Catholic High School in Kentucky by Niche. Covington Latin students are uniquely prepared to succeed in the 21st century, both in their future professions and in service to their communities. To learn more about the school, visit covingtonlatin.org.